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My favourite one in Dutch: People with a disability used to be called "handicapped". At some point, that was no longer acceptable. The correct term to use beca

My favourite one in Dutch: People with a disability used to be called "handicapped". At some point, that was no longer acceptable. The correct term to use became "invalid". So it was better to say "that person is invalid" than "that person is handicapped".

0xbadc0de5 3y ago
Another example Carlin provides is "cripple". It can be used as both an adjective and as a verb and concisely describes the situation. It's entirely neutral and free of euphemism. He also makes a similar argument for "retarded".
- Tao3300 3y ago
  I think the problem with "retarded" was that it became a pejorative. It's also just a harsh sounding word.
  - poszlem 3y ago
    The term turned negative because it represented something that no one wanted to be associated with. Even if you were to use the phrase "unicorn-blessed" in the same context, over time, it could also develop a negative connotation. It's not the terminology that's a problem, but the situation it describes. "Idiot", "moron", and "imbecile" used to be medical terms.
    - itronitron 3y ago
      >> if you were to use the phrase "unicorn-blessed" yeah, that exact thing happened with the word "special"
      - apricot 3y ago
        Today, one often hears "He is special needs" said by people who think they are being politically correct. But that's awfully wrong. He might have special needs, but he is not needs. He is a person. To me, that's a lot more dehumanizing than saying "retarded". Then they'll say "but you know what I mean". That's the point, exactly.
        0xbadc0de5 3y ago
        The ultimate culmination being certain subreddits where the banned "retarded" has been replaced by the homonym "regarded", such that referring to someone as "highly regarded" is understood to mean the former, not the latter.
        rootusrootus 3y ago
        At some point we may collectively realize that controlling language in such a way is impossible. People will just find alternative ways to express exactly the same sentiment.
        Tao3300 3y ago
        That's pretty ducking clever
        JasserInicide 3y ago
        Apparently you can't say "suicide" anymore in YouTube videos because it's automatic demonetization so people are now saying "unalive"
        apricot 3y ago
        In China, similar tricks are used to work around automatic censorship. For instance, in the early days of the covid pandemic: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/china-social-media-language-government-censorship-covid/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/china-social-...
  - rpmisms 3y ago
    Retarded means "slowed down". It's a very good word, and even better as an insult.
    - rootusrootus 3y ago
      It'll also get you banned pretty fast in the majority of subreddits, despite the fact that very few people today (and even fewer who use reddit) were ever legitimately referred to as retarded back in the day.
      - rpmisms 3y ago
        Reddit is a bit of an odd environment. It's moderated by people with zero life.
      - faeriechangling 3y ago
        I was called it in both senses of the word and I think that was extremely common for people of a certain generation. I saw the full time special ed getting called that more than occasionally. There were all sorts of popular memes like “arguing on the internet is like winning the special olympics…” What do you know? The biggest thing I noticed after “retard” fell out of favour is more specific insults like “autist” became more prevalent and I’d say this rotation of the euphemism treadmill has only made stigma worse for certain groups because “retard” was used as such a catch-all that the stigma of it didn’t really seem to stick to people much. As for banning slurs from Reddit, irrespective of slurs should be banned for the good of those being slurred, they cause derails and are magnets for reports.
ad404b8a372f2b9 3y ago
That's funny we went the opposite way in France, "invalid" in the past, now "handicapped".
- drivingmenuts 3y ago
  I have heard the term "differently abled" kicked around, which completely buries the actual issue. As a "differently abled" person, I will say I don't need to go hiding my handicap, I'd much rather someone figure out to help me adapt better or just fix it, rather than hiding it. I know I have a problem, I have it all day every day. Why are people who don't have my problems so concerned about just saying it out loud?
  - ad404b8a372f2b9 3y ago
    I find it reprehensible. Lots of hot air to accomplish nothing at all except making a few activists feel good about themselves. The online disabled community has been completely poisoned by it sadly.
- addcommitpush 3y ago
  You're late. It's en situation de handicap now, not invalide or handicapé. See for instance https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31029 https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31029
Cthulhu_ 3y ago
That's not even the end of it, because there's also "mindervalide", "less-valid", or "iemand met een beperking", "someone with a limitation".
filmor 3y ago
Invalid is derived from Latin with validus meaning "strong" or "in order". The German and Dutch uses of the word are derived directly from invalidus meaning ~"weak" (maybe via French), while the English word (as its mostly used) is an English(!) negation of "valid", which leans on the "in order" part to get to "inappropriate" or "not correct".
- seabass-labrax 3y ago
  'Invalid' (a weak person) is also pronounced with an 'ə' (in-vuh-lid) in English, whereas 'Invalid' (a improper thing) is pronounced with an 'a' (in-va-lid).

0xbadc0de5 3y ago

Another example Carlin provides is "cripple". It can be used as both an adjective and as a verb and concisely describes the situation. It's entirely neutral and free of euphemism. He also makes a similar argument for "retarded".

Tao3300 3y ago
I think the problem with "retarded" was that it became a pejorative. It's also just a harsh sounding word.
- poszlem 3y ago
  The term turned negative because it represented something that no one wanted to be associated with. Even if you were to use the phrase "unicorn-blessed" in the same context, over time, it could also develop a negative connotation. It's not the terminology that's a problem, but the situation it describes. "Idiot", "moron", and "imbecile" used to be medical terms.
  - itronitron 3y ago
    >> if you were to use the phrase "unicorn-blessed" yeah, that exact thing happened with the word "special"
    - apricot 3y ago
      Today, one often hears "He is special needs" said by people who think they are being politically correct. But that's awfully wrong. He might have special needs, but he is not needs. He is a person. To me, that's a lot more dehumanizing than saying "retarded". Then they'll say "but you know what I mean". That's the point, exactly.
      - 0xbadc0de5 3y ago
        The ultimate culmination being certain subreddits where the banned "retarded" has been replaced by the homonym "regarded", such that referring to someone as "highly regarded" is understood to mean the former, not the latter.
        rootusrootus 3y ago
        At some point we may collectively realize that controlling language in such a way is impossible. People will just find alternative ways to express exactly the same sentiment.
        Tao3300 3y ago
        That's pretty ducking clever
        JasserInicide 3y ago
        Apparently you can't say "suicide" anymore in YouTube videos because it's automatic demonetization so people are now saying "unalive"
        apricot 3y ago
        In China, similar tricks are used to work around automatic censorship. For instance, in the early days of the covid pandemic: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/china-social-media-language-government-censorship-covid/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/china-social-...
- rpmisms 3y ago
  Retarded means "slowed down". It's a very good word, and even better as an insult.
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    It'll also get you banned pretty fast in the majority of subreddits, despite the fact that very few people today (and even fewer who use reddit) were ever legitimately referred to as retarded back in the day.
    - rpmisms 3y ago
      Reddit is a bit of an odd environment. It's moderated by people with zero life.
    - faeriechangling 3y ago
      I was called it in both senses of the word and I think that was extremely common for people of a certain generation. I saw the full time special ed getting called that more than occasionally. There were all sorts of popular memes like “arguing on the internet is like winning the special olympics…” What do you know? The biggest thing I noticed after “retard” fell out of favour is more specific insults like “autist” became more prevalent and I’d say this rotation of the euphemism treadmill has only made stigma worse for certain groups because “retard” was used as such a catch-all that the stigma of it didn’t really seem to stick to people much. As for banning slurs from Reddit, irrespective of slurs should be banned for the good of those being slurred, they cause derails and are magnets for reports.

ad404b8a372f2b9 3y ago

That's funny we went the opposite way in France, "invalid" in the past, now "handicapped".

drivingmenuts 3y ago
I have heard the term "differently abled" kicked around, which completely buries the actual issue. As a "differently abled" person, I will say I don't need to go hiding my handicap, I'd much rather someone figure out to help me adapt better or just fix it, rather than hiding it. I know I have a problem, I have it all day every day. Why are people who don't have my problems so concerned about just saying it out loud?
- ad404b8a372f2b9 3y ago
  I find it reprehensible. Lots of hot air to accomplish nothing at all except making a few activists feel good about themselves. The online disabled community has been completely poisoned by it sadly.
addcommitpush 3y ago
You're late. It's en situation de handicap now, not invalide or handicapé. See for instance https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31029 https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31029

Cthulhu_ 3y ago

That's not even the end of it, because there's also "mindervalide", "less-valid", or "iemand met een beperking", "someone with a limitation".

filmor 3y ago

Invalid is derived from Latin with validus meaning "strong" or "in order". The German and Dutch uses of the word are derived directly from invalidus meaning ~"weak" (maybe via French), while the English word (as its mostly used) is an English(!) negation of "valid", which leans on the "in order" part to get to "inappropriate" or "not correct".

seabass-labrax 3y ago
'Invalid' (a weak person) is also pronounced with an 'ə' (in-vuh-lid) in English, whereas 'Invalid' (a improper thing) is pronounced with an 'a' (in-va-lid).