Glossary entry
For many years, the word “retarded” was considered by every facet of society to be clinical and objective. However, over time, the connotation behind the word changed and it took on a strange duality of being scientific and derogatory. As the brother of a kid who would have been classified at “mentally retarded,” I had always been uncomfortable with the use of the word, because I had heard it primarily in a derogatory setting. I had a peculiar relationship with the word, because for the longest time it was the go to word to describe people with that set of challenges in a medical setting. Doctors would use it, so what made its usage so uncomfortable for me?
To better understand how the word evolved over the years, it is helpful to look at its origin. The word “retarded” has its etymological roots in the Latin word “retardātus,” which meant to be held back or impeded. It eventually found its way into the English language with a nearly identical meaning, however it wasn’t until the late 19th century that it was used to describe someone with a learning or intellectual disability. In fact it was used for hundreds of years to describe non-human things exclusively. It even went as far too classify people by their abnormally low IQ scores.
To possess the traits of what would have classified you as “retarded” are obviously undesirable. This is why I think it began to morph into a derogatory slur, seeing as the being called something abnormal is a common insult among pretty much every demographic. One thing I have observed of the derogatory usage of the word “retarded” is that the majority of people who use it are not using it to insult people actually afflicted with mental disability. It is usually directed at friends, themselves, situations—not that it makes it okay, but it does seem much less menacing in that respect. In my personal experience with the word, it was almost never used to insult a person with an intellectual disability, but it still felt somewhat wrong to use it for our own enjoyment.
In 2010, Rosa’s Law was passed. I was actually not aware of this until recently, but it removed the term “mentally retarded” from any and all legal and medical settings, including education, health and labor codes1. It is very hard to remove a word from society, because condemning its use can make its usage all the more damning, but removing the clinical aspect of the word ‘retarded’ is definitely an important step in encouraging people not to use it. It does however raise a new set of problems. A Harvard Law professor wrote regarding the stigmatization of words2, saying that it can result in, “an overeagerness to detect insult where none is intended and the use of excessively harsh punishment against those who use the word wrongly.” There even have been campaigns such as the R-Word campaign that seek to end the usage of the word “retarded” in any and all contexts3. This campaign in particular uses the popular show “Glee” as it’s primary source of dissemination, which has some significance especially when one considers the usual usage of the word “retarded” in popular culture. For example the 2008 blockbuster film “Tropic Thunder” is infamous for a certain monologue in which the characters describe another (not mentally challenged) character as having gone “full retard”. In movies, music, and television, it was generally acceptable to use it for humor. It actually probably still is, but shows such as Glee opposing the usage of the word “retarded” show the changing attitude towards any use of the word.
The most peculiar thing I found about the negative connotation of the word and how I personally feel about using it is that looking in the dictionary, the word should not be that offensive. Perhaps years and years of use in a derogatory manner has just ingrained into our minds that it is a bad and impolite word to use. Which is interesting. The way we use a word affects how we perceive its meaning and its effect on other people.
All in all, the word “retarded” has a long history of usage, but as a word that describes disability, it is coming to the end of its rope. I’m unsure how much it will fall out of favor in the future, but since it is no longer used in a professional setting it is doomed to the realm of derogatory slurs, where it shall stay.
"Rosa's Law." Special Olympics. N.p., 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
Fairman, Christopher M. "Saying It Is Hurtful. Banning It Is Worse." Washington Post.
N.p., 14 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
"Your Stories." R-word. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
To better understand how the word evolved over the years, it is helpful to look at its origin. The word “retarded” has its etymological roots in the Latin word “retardātus,” which meant to be held back or impeded. It eventually found its way into the English language with a nearly identical meaning, however it wasn’t until the late 19th century that it was used to describe someone with a learning or intellectual disability. In fact it was used for hundreds of years to describe non-human things exclusively. It even went as far too classify people by their abnormally low IQ scores.
To possess the traits of what would have classified you as “retarded” are obviously undesirable. This is why I think it began to morph into a derogatory slur, seeing as the being called something abnormal is a common insult among pretty much every demographic. One thing I have observed of the derogatory usage of the word “retarded” is that the majority of people who use it are not using it to insult people actually afflicted with mental disability. It is usually directed at friends, themselves, situations—not that it makes it okay, but it does seem much less menacing in that respect. In my personal experience with the word, it was almost never used to insult a person with an intellectual disability, but it still felt somewhat wrong to use it for our own enjoyment.
In 2010, Rosa’s Law was passed. I was actually not aware of this until recently, but it removed the term “mentally retarded” from any and all legal and medical settings, including education, health and labor codes1. It is very hard to remove a word from society, because condemning its use can make its usage all the more damning, but removing the clinical aspect of the word ‘retarded’ is definitely an important step in encouraging people not to use it. It does however raise a new set of problems. A Harvard Law professor wrote regarding the stigmatization of words2, saying that it can result in, “an overeagerness to detect insult where none is intended and the use of excessively harsh punishment against those who use the word wrongly.” There even have been campaigns such as the R-Word campaign that seek to end the usage of the word “retarded” in any and all contexts3. This campaign in particular uses the popular show “Glee” as it’s primary source of dissemination, which has some significance especially when one considers the usual usage of the word “retarded” in popular culture. For example the 2008 blockbuster film “Tropic Thunder” is infamous for a certain monologue in which the characters describe another (not mentally challenged) character as having gone “full retard”. In movies, music, and television, it was generally acceptable to use it for humor. It actually probably still is, but shows such as Glee opposing the usage of the word “retarded” show the changing attitude towards any use of the word.
The most peculiar thing I found about the negative connotation of the word and how I personally feel about using it is that looking in the dictionary, the word should not be that offensive. Perhaps years and years of use in a derogatory manner has just ingrained into our minds that it is a bad and impolite word to use. Which is interesting. The way we use a word affects how we perceive its meaning and its effect on other people.
All in all, the word “retarded” has a long history of usage, but as a word that describes disability, it is coming to the end of its rope. I’m unsure how much it will fall out of favor in the future, but since it is no longer used in a professional setting it is doomed to the realm of derogatory slurs, where it shall stay.
"Rosa's Law." Special Olympics. N.p., 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
Fairman, Christopher M. "Saying It Is Hurtful. Banning It Is Worse." Washington Post.
N.p., 14 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
"Your Stories." R-word. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.