TheCable

The Nigeria army thrust Nigerians into a whirlpool of grammatical kerfuffle when it announced on Tuesday that Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Boko Haram sect, had been “fatally wounded” in a “spectacular” attack on his hideout in Sambisa forest.

Sani Usman, spokesman of the army, made the announcement.

“Those Boko Haram terrorists commanders confirmed dead include Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman, amongst others. While their leader, so called ‘Abubakar  Shekau’, is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders. Several other terrorists were also wounded,” he said.

However, the confusion is on the true state of Shekau at the moment? Is he dead or alive since the army did not say explicitly if the Boko Haram demagogue had gone on a date in Hades?

SERIOUSLY WOUNDED?

Perhaps, the army wanted to say that the death sultan was seriously wounded. Or Whatever? But what do English dictionaries say about the adjective “fatal”, since this is the seminal word in dispute. Besides, “fatally” is the adverbial cousin of fatal.

ORIGIN

Etymologically, “fatal” is an old French word with Latin siblings “fatum” and “fatalis”.  Its anachronistic or distant meaning is “destined by fate”.

The word has since taken the “literal baking of evolution” and has been conscripted into the English Language.

Now, here is what some “common” English dictionaries say about the befuddled word.

WEBSTER

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the “simple definition” of fatal is “causing death” and “causing ruin or failure”.

By this definition, any action or incident that results in a fatal wound or in which a person is “fatally wounded” MUST lead to death.

Not satisfied? Let’s have a look at another English dictionary.

CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge dictionary simply says: “Fatal illness, accident, etc. causes death.”

It also gives an example of the adverbial component, “fatally”, as “several people were injured, two fatally = they died as a result”.

OXFORD

And Oxford Advanced Learners’ dictionary says “fatal” means “causing or ending in death,” and “causing disaster or failure.”

Example: “A fatal accident, illness, blow”.

Having observed the ‘liturgy’ of these dictionaries, it is either the army meant that Shekau had died of his wound or that he would die of his wound or that he was seriously wounded.

Although there a few less reliable dictionaries that define “fatal” as “causing or capable of causing death”, thereby suggesting that the end result may or may not be death, majority state clearly that a Fatal injury must end in death.

Still, only the army can de-mix  this confusion.