The reason I bring these words up is every one of them was originally a medical diagnosis, that eventually became offensive so they changed it to retarded, which has now itself become offensive, which then became special ed/sped, or special needs, which are now going the way of retard and becoming offensive.
The line of which of those words is a slur is entirely arbitrary.
Okay. Would you say the same applies to the word idiot? Imbecile? Moron? Are any of those slurs?
idk for idiot or imbecile.
Moron is a slur imho.
But these are only my opinions and English isn’t even my first language so I might miss some things ^^`
The reason I bring these words up is every one of them was originally a medical diagnosis, that eventually became offensive so they changed it to retarded, which has now itself become offensive, which then became special ed/sped, or special needs, which are now going the way of retard and becoming offensive.
The line of which of those words is a slur is entirely arbitrary.
Euphemism treadmill go brrr
Yup but imho it doesn’t stop there.
Once the word stops being used as a medical diagnosis it will slowly stop being associated with learning / mental disabilities.
Nowadays not a lot of people associate saying someone is an idiot with any social minority so it kinda is just a disparaging qualifier.
Retard just happens to currently be in that sour spot.
Someday saying “intellectually disabled” will draw horrified gasps from people who will berate you for not using “cerebrally unenfranchised”
I mean there’s already a school of thought that “disabled” has a negative connotation to it, that’s where the term “differently-abled” comes in.
It’s all kind of a dance to not hurt anyone’s feelings.