I just got in a tiff with someone who was belittling me for saying that I was shocked by someone using the term term 'deaf and dumb' .
In Britain, this term has been shunned for decades as it is basically saying that deaf people are also stupid. I've not heard this phrase here since the 80s.
This person told me that 'dumb' means unwilling or unable to speak.
Is this a cultural difference, or are they just ignorant?
I wouldn't use the term but that is what It means dumb...unable to speak. Its old school .
shareMaybe I'm the ignorant one then π€.
It's very derogatory here to say deaf and dumb.
You are under 35..The term is old school, by that I mean created by rich white guys:)
shareI'm 40 π.
But It's like when I was a child in the 80s there was a charity called the spastics society which changed It's name as the word 'spastic' is degrading to disabled people.
I'm thinking that this is a European thing.
I think it depends a lot on the tone of your voice. We have changed the term for people with mental disabilities many times. But if I say without malice, I have a friend who is retarded, today people would jump on me. But we keep changing the words for the same things to make them less offensive. But In the end it only matters how you say it. Tone and intention are everything.
shareYeah I agree with you on that.
I couldn't be arsed to argue with the person so I just sent a kiss face which just riled them even more.
I hate it when you say something from the heart and people just jump on you and tell you how stupid you are rather than trying to understand differences in cultures π
It's the old school way of describing nonverbal. Glad they changed it.
shareif you pair them together - 'deaf & dumb' - i don't really think that should be offensive at all.
no more so than saying 'dumb-struck.'
i think it's a bit outdated, but it would never occur to me that it would ever be offensive.
certainly not the way it would be to use the r word when insulting someone.
dumb is slang for stupid.
shareLanguages change over time. Take the Bible, for example:
Mark 7:37 - King James Version (1611)
And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Mark 7:37 - New Revised Standard Version (1989)
They were astounded beyond measure, saying, βHe has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.β