this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2024
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On an animal it's called a necropsy..
Actually, a long time ago, I was told it was supposed to be called necropsy also in humans. Necro = dead.
Autopsy would mean you’re doing the exam on yourself.
I don’t know why it stayed autopsy. Maybe it’s like “atom”, meaning “indivisible”.
Humans (as a species) dissecting themselves?
So I guess it works regardless of species. Though I'm not sure I believe this. Like how else did ancient Greeks see?
Pretty much, "seeing for yourself"
1650s, "an eye-witnessing, a seeing for oneself," from Modern Latin autopsia, from Greek autopsia "a seeing with one's own eyes," from autos- "self" (see auto-) + opsis "a sight". The sense of "dissection of a body to determine cause of death" is recorded from 1670s, probably from the same sense in French autopsie (1570s). Related: Autopsic; autoptic. As a verb by 1895. Related: Autopsied.
That’s a nice interpretation!
So, I did a simple search (autopsy vs necropsy) and the first three links gave me three different answers! First said they’re synonyms. Second simple said autopsy is for humans and necropsy is for animals. Now, the third one gave your interpretation. Autopsy is for humans because it’s the same species.
Hmm, that seems kind of inconsistent with auto as a prefix elsewhere. E.g., autofellatio, autoimmune, autobiography. It's auto because it's yourself, not another member of the same species.
Though there's also autocrat, which seemingly is on its own and not referring to membership or self.
Autocracy means "absolute rule by one", by "autocrator" (auto+kratos) to describe the Roman Emperor (n. Latin "imperator"), but is from multiple origins at this point. 🖖🏼
A typical "Throbbing Gristle" gig.