encoffinment means the preparation of the body of a deceased person and placement of it in a coffin, especially in a ceremonial or ritualistic manner. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “encoffinment” is a great word
ENCOFFINMENT — [Noun] The act or process of placing a body into a coffin. From the verb 'encoffin' (from the prefix 'en-' meaning 'to put into' + 'coffin') + the noun-forming suffix '-ment'. Unlike “burial,” which denotes the final interment in the earth, or “embalming,” which specifies chemical preservation, encoffinment is the intimate, proximate ritual of containment. It is the careful folding of linen, the measured arrangement of limbs onto a pillow, and the definitive, muffled sound of the lid being secured—a quiet geometry performed at the threshold of absence, where the work of the living is made separate from the rest of the dead.
Etymology
From encoffin + -ment.
noun
- The preparation of the body of a deceased person and placement of it in a coffin, especially in a ceremonial or ritualistic manner.“The encoffinment takes place on the third day after death, in the presence of the assembled family.”