"Felicity S." Fliss@orpheusnet wrote in message
news:fIxm7.2485$lk6.889132@orpheusnews...

BTW, the word 'electrocution' is short for electric execution but
these are accidental deaths; however, I guess that's preferable
to the media using it to mean any (survivable) electric shock.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/electrocute gives both meanings of
the word: execution by electricity being the original meaning (1889) but in
the sense of accidental death due to electricity, it was first recorded in
1909.

Similarly, New Oxford Dictionary of English, OUP, 2001 says "injure or kill
someone by electric shock: [example] a man was electrocuted on the rail
track", implying accidental death rather than execution.