abgestorbene

Abgestorbene is the past participle of the German verb absterben and can function as an adjective or as a noun when capitalized. As an adjective it describes something that has died or ceased to live, for example in botany or medicine (abgestorbene Zellen, abgestorbene Pflanze). In medical contexts it is used to denote tissue that is necrotic or nonviable, such as abgestorbenes Gewebe.

As a noun, Abgestorbene (often written with capital initial and plural) can refer to people who have died, analogous to verstorbene or Verstorbenen. In this usage it tends to be more clinical or diaristic and is common in reports or summaries that emphasize a group of deceased individuals, for instance in military or disaster contexts.

Usage notes and nuance: abgestorbene and related forms decline like other adjectives, with endings determined by gender, number and article. Examples: die abgestorbene Pflanze, eine abgestorbene Pflanze, die abgestorbenen Pflanzen, abgestorbene Pflanzen. The noun form Abgestorbene is more likely in contexts that treat the deceased as a group, similar to Verstorbenen, while Verstorbenen is more common in obituaries and formal memorial language.

Etymology: abgestorbene derives from absterben (to die, to perish) plus the participle abgestorben and the attributive adjective ending -e. The concept spans living organisms, tissues, and people, with varying stylistic connotations—from neutral to clinical.

See also: sterben, verstorben, verstorbene, nekrotisch, Abgestorbene as a substantive. The term is typically replaced by more neutral or euphemistic expressions in sensitive contexts, such as Verstorbenen or Todesfälle.