Is there a difference between 絶える & 死に絶える? 絶える already means to die out/to
become extinct, so is 死 necessary?
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translation nuances
Is there a difference between 絶える & 死に絶える
絶える has [a number of
meanings](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E7%B5%B6%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B/), but
it primarily means "to cease" (e.g., 仕送りが絶える). To express death using 絶える, you
usually have to say **命が** 絶える. 絶える may mean "to die" by itself in rare
poetic/literary contexts with the aid of the context, but you almost never
have to do this unless you want to be a novelist or something. (By the way, to
say "to die" poetically, 果てる is much more common.)

In addition, 絶える is about the life of one person, whereas 死に絶える is always
about extinction or mass murdering.
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