Why do people Call a Funeral Wake, a "Wake", if the person is dead?

Answer 1

Just in case!
In many cultures, the time between the death of a person and their funeral has been called the "wake". This tradition began because the medical technology and practices of centuries past was not as certain as the technology of today with regards to the certainty that someone was dead.

There were times when one was mistakenly labeled as dead and in reality they were unconscious. The Wake was usually held in the family home and came about as a way for the family and friends to support one another in their mourning, as well as to sit with the deceased on the chance that they would "wake up" and not be buried alive.

Answer 2

DakotaNZ is very ultimate, here extract from the internet Wikipedia clarifies this "The custom stems traditionally from an historic custom of observing over the deceased's physique in the wish that existence could desire to return and the term in many places is now synonymous with viewing or funeral visitation. the objective of the wake has developed so as that now it has exchange right into a time for acquaintances and kinfolk of the deceased to collect and to console the on the spot kinfolk previous to the funeral."

Answer 3

It comes from the olden days before medical advancements when a person might not have died, but fell unconscious or lapsed into a coma.

They would have someone watch over the body to see if the alleged deceased would in fact wake up.