this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2025
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It has everything to do with "mentally handicapped" people. The word "retarded", used as an insult, derived from the term "mental retardation", which was previously the actual clinical and legal term for a person with what we now refer to as "intellectual disability". The use of "retarded" as a slur/insult is the whole reason why the clinical term was changed. It had come to be seen as derogatory and ableist even when used in a clinical context.
Source: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The term "mental retardation" was used through the fourth edition, which was last revised in the year 2000. It lasted until the 5th edition, which wasn't published until 2013. Various organizations/agencies changed their terminology prior.
Fwiw, I'm a licensed clinician and I have diagnosed people with intellectual disabilities. I understand your perspective on the word, and I even shared a similar opinion until I learned how it has been used as a slur toward people who do have intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. Because of learning that, I now don't use it as an insult. We do better when we know better.