The Oxford English Dictionary first defines "retard" as a VERB. The traditional (1400's) meaning of the word was used to describe the slowing down or delaying of a person or thing with respect to action/progress.
1704 Boston Newsletter- The first time the word "retard" was printed in American newspaper. The term was used as a verb to describe the slowing down of something.
Hartheim castle, a euthanasia killing center where people with physical and mental disabilities were killed by gassing and lethal injection during the Holocaust. Hartheim, Austria
1700s. Definition shifts from verb to noun.
As retard (once used to describe objects) alided to define PEOPLE, a major shift in society occurs as the term begins to construct a social reality.
Medical Model-
Pamphlet from January of 1912 titled "Threat of the Feeble Minded"
- promoted human rights abuses of people with disabilities whom were referred to as retards. Retards were institutionalized and sterilized for fear that they would cause harm to the human race.
As the traditional definition of retard, as meaning slow, alided with people, the term was resignified to DEFINE a particular group of people. In the 20th century, the way the term is used shifts to a much more negative connotation.
Public figures using the term "retard" in negative connotations construct
Having such a powerful position in society construct the social reality.
Throughout the 20th Century, "retard" made the semantic shift from being related to a medical term, to being used as a label and a main focus for mockery.
Above is a screenshot of the term "retard" being used in 2009 Facebook statuses.
The pop band, The Black Eyed Peas, released their single "Let's get Retarded" in 2003.
The control this ideograph has in society has become so powerful that now there is a movement to designify the symbol and idea completely- removing it socially, politically, and legally.
The pop band changed their title and lyrics from "Let's Get Retarded" to "Let's Get it Started" and re-recorded the song.
Current:
Organizations are forming to take social action by protesting the former connotation of retard and push for designification of the term altogether.
semantic shift of meanings.
Despite the move towards designifying "retard", it's use and connotation within society has become so embedded and normalized, even political leaders use the term without hesitation.