If you were to ask any random person on the street what the word retard meant to them, they would likely tell you it is used as an insult meaning stupid or an idiot. Although that is technically one of the definitions of the word today, the original meaning, dated all the way back to the late 1400s, was to keep back, hinder or slow down. Over the many years mankind has not only changed the definition of the word, but also the nature of the word.
The first time the word retard had been used related to mental deficiency was back in 1895. It has been used in the medical field for many years since then as a medical term for the mentally handicapped. Mentally retarded meant a person had certain developmental disabilities. It didn’t mean they were
The first time the word retard had been used related to mental deficiency was back in 1895. It has been used in the medical field for many years since then as a medical term for the mentally handicapped. Mentally retarded meant a person had certain developmental disabilities. It didn’t mean they were