Logic and language don’t always go together, but with these words the offensiveness was clear, and so was the solution.” But clearly the greater understanding of brain function and treatments for disorders have led to important changes in vocabulary, which show measurable progress in both sensitivity and accuracy. Sokolowski thinks this has to do with ignorance of word origins: “It’s surprising to people today that words like moron once had a scientific meaning. Some might be confused by the fact that “idiot,” “moron,” “imbecile,” and “feeble-minded” are thrown around casually, while “retard” is reviled. Sokolowski said in an e-mail, “Since it was often impossible to tell whether the coinages were meant to be hurtful or playful, our decision was to reject those submissions.” Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large for Merriam-Webster, said such terms used to pop up often on the online Open Dictionary, which is user-generated, much like Urban Dictionary. Any variation of “retard” still carries a toxic feel for many.
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