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#1 Mulhull Nov 17, 2007 18:08:09

Does anyone get peeved how people seem to have their own definition of what mortal means, and use it in different contexts. For the record: mor·tal /ˈmɔrtl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mawr-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective 1. subject to death; having a transitory life: all mortal creatures. 2. of or pertaining to human beings as subject to death; human: this mortal life. 3. belonging to this world. 4. deadly or implacable; relentless: a mortal enemy. 5. severe, dire, grievous, or bitter: in mortal fear. 6. causing or liable to cause death; fatal: a mortal wound. 7. to the death: mortal combat. 8. of or pertaining to death: the mortal hour. 9. involving spiritual death (opposed to venial): mortal sin. 10. long and wearisome. 11. extreme; very great: in a mortal hurry. 12. conceivable; possible: of no mortal value to the owners. Usually when referring to not able to be killed or die, we use the first definition, but where did these definitions come from. I'm not sure about definition 2, otherworldly. Using that definition aliens wouldn't be mortal. I didn't find the following definitions in any dictionary, but people use them in these contexts. The other ways people define them are: mor·tal /ˈmɔrtl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mawr-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective 1. A non-deity 2. An ageless creature (like a demon or baatezu- they can still be killed however.) 3. A supernatural being (I heard superman referred to as "not mortal" once though he has been killed before, and resurrected) and now immortal: im·mor·tal /ɪˈmɔrtl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[i-mawr-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective 1. not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying: our immortal souls. 2. remembered or celebrated through all time: the immortal words of Lincoln. 3. not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting. 4. perpetual; lasting; constant: an immortal enemy. 5. of or pertaining to immortal beings or immortality. 6. (of a laboratory-cultured cell line) capable of dividing indefinitely. –noun 7. an immortal being. 8. a person of enduring fame: Bach, Milton, El Greco, and other immortals. 9. the Immortals, the 40 members of the French Academy. 10. (often initial capital letter) any of the gods of classical mythology. Not sure where definition 10 came from either, must be new. Kind of contradicts what I said earlier. But, they were immortal according to definition 1 of immortal, they weren't immortal just because they were gods. Immortal is supposed to mean just that. You can't be killed, or die by any means. Not if someone cuts your head off, not if someone puts hinds blood on their weapon, not if you were burned to ashes, and not if you had a head on collision with your anti-matter clone. Can't die, plain and simple. And power has nothing to do with it. If you can destroy planets on a whim but you can still be killed you are mortal. But, I think some clarification is required, immortal doesn't necessarily mean invulnerable, you still may be able to be hurt physically, or otherwise, you may be able to suffer, but you can't die. Here's some forms it could take. 1. Regenerative Immortality- No matter what happens to you, you will always assume your original form. In the above case of being burned to ashes, you would even regenerate back from that, or whatever remains of you. Nupperibo's can do this, though they aren't immortal as they can be killed with holy things. Prometheus in Greek mythology was immortal, though he could be harmed physically hurt and feel physical pain. If the Vulture that lived near the rock he was chained to on that mountain's beak couldn't even penetrate his skin there would be no point to putting him there, and whatever it took from him must have grown back otherwise it would eventually eat all of him. 2. Physically Invulnerable Immortality- You are a physical corporeal being, but you are physically invulnerable, nothing can harm you at all. This was the case in Tuck Everlasting where all sorts of things happened to them, but never seemingly put a scratch on them or caused them the slightest bit of pain. They also never aged a day from the time they drank from the spring 3. Incorporeal Immortality- Kind of like being a form of incorporeal undead, except nothing can hurt you either, any weapon or anything else, even something else incorporeal simply passes through you like you don't even exist. You may or may not be able to interact with your environment. Perhaps there's another form of this where you don't have any kind of "body" at all, incorporeal or otherwise, and just a mind, like Nirvana or something, you feel and sense, you are pure consciousness and that's all.