Comment on đđ„đ
Larry@lemmy.zip âš2â© âšdaysâ© agoBut âidiotâ has the same origin and isnât a slur?
Itâs based on usage. R word is tainted now, this might change in the future or not. Language doesnât care about etymology, only about usage. If the usage is generally negative and implies inferiority of a minority itâs a slur.
Calling someone an idiot doesnât imply that disabled people are inferior, which makes it ok to use.
They are both used the same
Theyâre used differently, which trumps historical meanings.
No, they are used the same. Please provide a sentence where they canât be used interchangeably if you claim they are used so drastically different.
axexrx@lemmy.world âš2â© âšdaysâ© ago
See also Moron, imbecile, and cretin.
All Originally medical terms, that then entered comon usage as insults, fell out of favor medically because of that, were rejected by polite society, then after a refractory period and enough replacements, became lower grade insults that were more acceptable for common use.