Deaf-mute

Deaf-mutism, a substantive of the adjective deaf and dumb, refers to the inability of people to hear and to be able to express spoken language.

The composite adjective began life about 1775 in Leipzig, when Samuel Heinicke opened a school for deaf children. Before that were either "deaf ", " dumb ", " deaf and dumb " or " deaf, the dumb " (Martin Luther ) was used. Corresponding compound words in other languages ​​(French sourd - muet, engl. Deaf-mute, Spanish sordomudo etc. ) also emerged simultaneously with the beginning of the formation of deaf children in these countries. Together with the word " deaf " helped " deaf and dumb " to get the deaf teaching profession a higher civil political standing by a deaf teacher could say about his work, " For the deaf, we make our teaching art deaf ". So even deaf children to learn the spoken language and avoiding the sign with the slogan "If you gebärdest, think ( hearing ) people that you were deaf and dumb. You learned to speak, so you're just deaf. " Motivated.

The word " deaf and dumb " is now considered obsolete and is often perceived as an insult for two reasons: Firstly, a pigeon can talk through targeted training well - various distinct - acquire ability to speak; Deafness leads therefore not necessarily to ( acoustic ) dumbness. Secondly, users of sign language are quite capable to announce eloquent. As they are perceived " dumb " when the opposite does not know the sign language. The term " deaf and dumb " therefore implies a non-existent deficit. For illustration, can say that the majority of people was " in sign language Disabled " " behave blind" or.

Since the word is therefore perceived by the persons so designated as a pejorative, its flat-rate usage should be avoided. The true name is then numbness or deafness.