Having left or gone away; often used as a euphemism for deceased.
From Old French 'departir' meaning 'to divide' or 'separate', from Latin 'de-' (away) + 'partire' (to divide). The euphemistic use for death developed from the idea of the soul departing or separating from the body.
The word departed beautifully captures the human reluctance to speak directly about death - instead of saying someone 'died', we say they 'departed', as if death were simply another journey or separation. This linguistic gentleness reflects our deep discomfort with mortality and our preference for thinking of death as a departure rather than an ending.
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