大勢の人がおぼれ死んだ。

general trend; current thought

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

man; person; human being; mankind; people; human (Homo sapiens); humans as a species; character; personality; man of talent; true man; another person; other people; others; adult

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

to drown; to nearly drown; to sink below the surface (of water); to indulge in; to lose one's head over something; to wallow in

to die; to pass away; to lose spirit; to lose vigor; to look dead; to cease; to stop