Halott

Halott is a Hungarian word that means dead. It can function as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, halott describes something that is no longer alive, as in halott test (dead body) or halott ember (dead person). In everyday speech, halott can also be used as a standalone noun to refer to a deceased person, for example a halottat temetik (they are burying the dead).

As a noun, halott typically means the dead person rather than the corpse itself; the standard word for a dead body is holttest. In formal or obituary language, the more neutral term az elhunyt (the late) is often preferred when referring to someone who has died.

Etymology and usage notes: halott is a participial form derived from the verb halni (to die) and is widely used in everyday language to express death in both descriptive and referential senses. It coexists with related terms such as haldokló (dying, in the process of dying) and elhunyt (the deceased, the late), which carry different connotations and levels of formality.

In culture and media, the word appears in various contexts. For example, Halott Pénz, a Hungarian music group, uses halott in its name, illustrating how the term can take on stylized or symbolic meaning in popular culture. The term is generally avoided in overly formal or sensitive contexts where elhunyt or holttest might be preferred for clarity and tact.