Last words

Last words are the final utterances before death. The meaning is sometimes expanded to somewhat earlier utterances.

This article is about the medical phenomenon of last words. For last words of famous persons, see List of last words. For other uses, see Last words (disambiguation).

Last words of famous or infamous people are sometimes recorded (although not always accurately) which became a historical and literary trope. According to Karl Guthke, last words as recorded in public documents are often reflections of the social attitude toward death at the time, rather than reports of actual statements.[1] Published last words may reflect words that the dying person's intimates or supporters wished were their final testament.

Actual last words are typically less grandiose than those attributed to historical figures, and are also seldom published. Dying people frequently suffer delirium, diminished mental acuity, inability to speak clearly, or some combination of the three. McLeod stated that people near death do not normally remain mentally clear. Some do not speak before their death.[1] "People will whisper, and they'll be brief, single words – that's all they have energy for."[2]

Actual final utterances are often short or difficult to interpret. Diminished breathing can limit volume, and medications, lack of energy, dry mouth, and lack of dentures can also frustrate communication. Last words are commonly the names of spouses or children, or banal utterances such as "Mama" and "Oh, fuck".[1]

See also

References
  1. Michael Erard (January 16, 2019). "What People Actually Say Before They Die". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 8, 2021., republished at Getpocket
  2. Maureen Keeley, quoted at "What do dying people really say? 'Mama,' curse words, and more". Advisory Board. January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2021.

Further reading
  • Smartt, Lisa (2017). Words at the Threshold: What We Say as We're Nearing Death. New World Library. ISBN 978-1608684601.
  • Moody, Raymond A. (2015). Life After Life. HarperOne. ISBN 9780062428905.
  • Miki, Namba, etc. (October 2007). "Terminal delirium: families' experience". Palliative Medicine. 21 (7): 587–594. doi:10.1177/0269216307081129. PMID 17942497. S2CID 24219129.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Callanan, Maggie; Kelley, Patricia (2012). Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1451667257.
  • Keeley, Maureen; Yingling, Julie (2007). Final Conversations: Helping the Living and the Dying Talk to Each Other. Vanderwyk & Burnham. ISBN 978-1889242309.
  • MacDonald, Arthur (October 1921). "Death-Psychology of Historical Personages". The American Journal of Psychology. 32 (4): 552–556. doi:10.2307/1413774. JSTOR 1413774. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
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