Cowardice: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Cowardly lion2.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The [[Cowardly Lion]], from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''.]] |
[[Image:Cowardly lion2.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The [[Cowardly Lion]], from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''.]] |
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'''Cowardice''' is a trait wherein [[fear]] and excess self-concern override what is right, good and of help to |
'''Cowardice''' is a trait wherein [[fear]] and excess self-concern override what is right, good and of help to others in need—it is the opposite of [[courage]]. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of one's character in the face of a challenge.<ref>Dictionary.com: "[the] lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cowardice : </ref> |
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Under many [[military law|military codes of justice]], cowardice in [[combat]] is a crime punishable by [[death]] (e.g. [[Execution by firing squad|shot at dawn]]). The term describes a personality trait which is seen as a negative characteristic and has been shunned and disdained (see [[norm (sociology)|norms]]) within most, if not all cultures, whilst courage, typically viewed as its direct opposite, is generally rewarded and encouraged{{cn|date=August 2012}}{{who|date=August 2012}}<!---By whom?--->. |
Under many [[military law|military codes of justice]], cowardice in [[combat]] is a crime punishable by [[death]] (e.g. [[Execution by firing squad|shot at dawn]]). The term describes a personality trait which is seen as a negative characteristic and has been shunned and disdained (see [[norm (sociology)|norms]]) within most, if not all cultures, whilst courage, typically viewed as its direct opposite, is generally rewarded and encouraged{{cn|date=August 2012}}{{who|date=August 2012}}<!---By whom?--->. |
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Revision as of 18:20, 29 March 2013
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
Cowardice is a trait wherein fear and excess self-concern override what is right, good and of help to others in need—it is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of one's character in the face of a challenge.[1]
Under many military codes of justice, cowardice in combat is a crime punishable by death (e.g. shot at dawn). The term describes a personality trait which is seen as a negative characteristic and has been shunned and disdained (see norms) within most, if not all cultures, whilst courage, typically viewed as its direct opposite, is generally rewarded and encouraged[citation needed][who?].
Etymology
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word coward came into English from the Old French word coart (modern French couard), a combination of the word for "tail" (Modern French queue, Latin cauda) and an agent noun suffix. It would therefore have meant "one with a tail" — perhaps from the habit of animals displaying their tails in flight ("turning tail"), or from a dog's habit of putting its tail between its legs when it is afraid.[citation needed]. Like many other English words of French origin, this word was introduced in the English language by the French-speaking Normans, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.[2]
The English surname Coward (as in Noël Coward), however, has the same origin and meaning as the word "cowherd".
Military law
Acts of cowardice have long been punishable by military law, which defines a wide range of cowardly offenses including desertion in face of the enemy and surrendering to the enemy against orders. The punishment for such acts is typically severe, ranging from corporal punishment to the death sentence. Cowardly conduct is specifically mentioned within the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice.
See also
References
- ^ Dictionary.com: "[the] lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cowardice :
- ^ http://faculty.uml.edu/jgarreau/FromFrenchtoEnglish.htm
External links
