I wonder what it is about the term “retarded” especially that provokes so strong negative feelings in certain people but not “idiot”, “moron” or “imbecille” though all four terms have been used as mental health diagnosis in the past
I think the vitriol that comes with the term “retarded” is different. People often make faces or try to sound intellectually disabled when they say it. It gets gross in a way that the other terms don’t match.
I wonder what it is about the term “retarded” especially that provokes so strong negative feelings in certain people but not “idiot”, “moron” or “imbecille” though all four terms have been used as mental health diagnosis in the past
I think the vitriol that comes with the term “retarded” is different. People often make faces or try to sound intellectually disabled when they say it. It gets gross in a way that the other terms don’t match.
I imagine it was because none of those terms were attributed to mental disability.
Perhaps you should google that
https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/moron-idiot-imbecile-offensive-history