Since when did the term “an invalid” become not PC

adam88

Lately had a discussion at work about how PC the world has gone and I was surprised the learn the term “an invalid” was considered offensive. Since when did all this come about ???

I've personally never heard anyone complain about the word invalid.

JimmyVik

Deleted User wrote: »

I've personally never heard anyone complain about the word invalid.

I have.

rapul

Back in my day men were men!

s1ippy

I've never heard of anyone using it and I've never heard anyone complaining.


I mean, I'm not offended by it but aren't you technically saying the person is invalid by virtue of whatever illness they have?

Who do you determine is an invalid? Someone with something as debilitating as a severe brain injury or somebody with mild asthma?

endacl

About 5 years ago we all agreed that nouns would be time-limited. Whatever replaced the word ‘invalid’ will become invalid in about ten years.

Are we still allowed to use the word ‘invalid’ to mean ‘invalid’, even though we’re not allowed to use it in the sense of ‘invalid’? Keeping up is complicated.

Mickeroo

I thought people had stopped using that word before PC even became a thing, not due to it being offensive or anything just due to it being an old fashioned word that isn't commonly used.

s1ippy

s1ippy wrote: »

I've never heard of anyone using it and I've never heard anyone complaining.


I mean, I'm not offended by it but aren't you technically saying the person is invalid by virtue of whatever illness they have?

Who do you determine is an invalid? Someone with something as debilitating as a severe brain injury or somebody with mild asthma?

Both. It's not meant literally.

Words have different meanings.

Gatling

Straight to feed back ban the word

fly_agaric

Kind of old fashioned??
It is pronounced quite differently to adjective "invalid" making meaning clear...so probably not as (potentially) offensive as some other fallen out of favour terms like "handicapped".

Mickeroo

Mickeroo wrote: »

I thought people had stopped using that word before PC even became a thing, not due to it being offensive or anything just due to it being an old fashioned word that isn't commonly used.

Invalidity pension is still going strong.

It's "Person who is invalided" now I believe.

FunLover18

endacl wrote: »

About 5 years ago we all agreed that nouns would be time-limited. Whatever replaced the word ‘invalid’ will become invalid in about ten years.

Are we still allowed to use the word ‘invalid’ to mean ‘invalid’, even though we’re not allowed to use it in the sense of ‘invalid’? Keeping up is complicated.

This sentence perfectly demonstrates the issue, the same word used twice in two different contexts but would be pronounced differently despite meaning essentially the same thing. I can understand why people would take offence at being called invalid because of a condition or injury they have no control over.

Seamai

I was reading an article recently about the difficulties members of the deaf community are having when trying to communicate with someone who is wearing a mask as they make it impossible to lip read. Interestingly the person who wrote the article said that they did not use the word "disabled" when referring to themselves but preferred "handicapped" as they learned to get around most of the issues caused by their deafness and didn't feel that it stop them from doing things which made a lot of sense to me. Disabled to me says unable where as handicapped says able but has a disadvantage.

JimmyVik

Deleted User wrote: »

Invalidity pension is still going strong.

Not for long

Wibbs

It's fashion as much as anything. "Retard" is another one. A decade ago it was pretty harmless, even a mainstream Hollywood flic like Tropic Thunder gave birth to a very popular meme around it. Today, no way would that script get approved in that form, because the pearl clutching and the fear of same would be monumental. Here on this site it would have caused few eyebrows to flicker ten years ago, but again today you can almost hear the buttocks being clenched. Yet what were once other old medical terms for mental impairment like idiot, moron, imbecile etc don't get a second look(though "spa" would and has done for longer than "retard").

I wonder is it because "retard" is more associated with autism and that's why it was more singled out? That we have more awareness of that condition today and people on the spectrum have more of a voice online than off, so that was an influence?

fly_agaric

Seamai wrote: »

I was reading an article recently about the difficulties members of the deaf community are having when trying to communicate with someone who is wearing a mask as they make it impossible to lip read. Interestingly the person who wrote the article said that they did not use the word "disabled" when referring to themselves but preferred "handicapped" as they learned to get around most of the issues caused by their deafness and didn't feel that it stop them from doing things which made a lot of sense to me. Disabled to me says unable where as handicapped says able but has a disadvantage.

Interesting. As said already, it is fashion & changes of use of words in speech as time goes by. I think "handicapped" became used in common speech as a generic kind of insult so it fell out of favour. Maybe similar to lunatic/lunacy which was even used in legislation etc. once upon a time.

RWCNT

"Invalid" is a very old school word, I havn't heard that in years and years.

Wibbs wrote: »

It's fashion as much as anything. "Retard" is another one. A decade ago it was pretty harmless, even a mainstream Hollywood flic like Tropic Thunder gave birth to a very popular meme around it. Today, no way would that script get approved in that form, because the pearl clutching and the fear of same would be monumental. Here on this site it would have caused few eyebrows to flicker ten years ago, but again today you can almost hear the buttocks being clenched. Yet what were once other old medical terms for mental impairment like idiot, moron, imbecile etc don't get a second look(though "spa" would and has done for longer than "retard").

I wonder is it because "retard" is more associated with autism and that's why it was more singled out? That we have more awareness of that condition today and people on the spectrum have more of a voice online than off, so that was an influence?

I've seen people in the wilder sections of social media complain that these are offensive, ableist terms.

You're right though, for some reason "retard" and "spastic" are considered worse by mainstream society, not sure why.

In my lifetime I've been told the politically correct terminology from someone with a disability was handicapped which then changed to differently abled which then changed to disabled. I've almost taken for granted that it's just going to keep on changing every decade or so.

maccored

its just common respect and manners not to call someone an 'invalid' - regardless of the pronunciation - or a retard etc .

James Brown

Using the 'N' word use to be acceptable. We continue to evolve/devolve. We're complex, we can get through this.

banie01

Invalid, makes a conjugated appearance on my bank statement at least once a month so it's news to me and the good folk at the Dept

Could it be that someone is assigning a meaning of a person being invalid rather than the actual meaning of the word?

Another symptom of the race to find offence maybe?

As an invalid, I'll say it loud and proud...
I'm grand with it

Atlantic Dawn

Joe Duffy regularly uses the term "has a difference".

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

The rule of thumb for evolving language is.

Coloured person - VERY VERY BAD.
Person OF colour - acceptable.

How about person of invalid. Does that work?

Rothko

RWCNT wrote: »

In my lifetime I've been told the politically correct terminology from someone with a disability was handicapped which then changed to differently abled which then changed to disabled. I've almost taken for granted that it's just going to keep on changing every decade or so.

That was one that never made sense to me.

El_Duderino 09

maccored wrote: »

its just common respect and manners not to call someone an 'invalid' - regardless of the pronunciation - or a retard etc .

You call it common respect and manners. Others call it PC gone mad.

Some people think it's edgy to reject common respect and manners in a silly belief that words shouldn't change in meaning.

maccored

banie01 wrote: »

Invalid, makes a conjugated appearance on my bank statement at least once a month so it's news to me and the good folk at the Dept

Could it be that someone is assigning a meaning of a person being invalid rather than the actual meaning of the word?

Another symptom of the race to find offence maybe?

As an invalid, I'll say it loud and proud...
I'm grand with it

The word invalid is an adjective that is also derived from the Latin word invalidus, in the sense of being weak or feeble

dont think anyone is trying to find offence - more so that you dont know where the word came from

maccored

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

You call it common respect and manners. Others call it PC gone mad.

Some people think it's edgy to reject common respect and manners in a silly belief that words shouldn't change in meaning.

thats exactly why you shouldnt use the word invalid - its meaning has always been the same - weak or feeble.

crossman47

maccored wrote: »

its just common respect and manners not to call someone an 'invalid' - regardless of the pronunciation - or a retard etc .

Serious question - why? Its a perfectly normal way of describing someone with an illness.

seamus

Haven't heard anyone complain about it, but at the same time it should be plain to anyone with two brain cells why "invalid" is not an appropriate word to describe someone. Just like you wouldn't use "moron" as a term for someone with an intellectual disability.

James Brown

I Seeth not the problem with evovling language. W'rds changeth. Some folk just seemeth to beest looking to beest outrag'd.

maccored

crossman47 wrote: »

Serious question - why? Its a perfectly normal way of describing someone with an illness.

its a way of calling sick people weak and feeble - yes. keep doing that if you want.