sut·tee

[suh-tee, suht-ee]
noun

sut·tee·ism, noun
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World English Dictionary
suttee (sʌˈtiː, ˈsʌtiː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the former Hindu custom whereby a widow burnt herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre
2.  a Hindu widow who immolated herself in this way
 
[C18: from Sanskrit satī virtuous woman, from sat good]
 
sut'teeism
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Suttee is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

suttee
"self-cremation of a Hindu widow on her husband's funeral pyre," 1786, from Hindi, from Skt. sati "virtuous woman," fem. of sat "good, wise," lit. "existing," prp. of asmi "I am" (cognate with L. esse; see essence). Properly, the word for the woman who does so. The custom
was abolished in British India in 1829.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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