vangefinn
Icelandic edit
Etymology edit
From van- (“too little, short of, lacking in”) + gefinn (“given, gifted”). Compare vel gefinn (“intelligent”, literally “well given”), illa gefinn (“unintelligent”, literally “badly given”), and English gifted.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
vangefinn
- (dated) mentally disabled, mentally retarded, mentally handicapped
- Synonyms: þroskaskertur, þroskaheftur
- (informal, offensive) retard, imbecile, idiot, person who has made a foolish mistake
Usage notes edit
Was used between approximately 1930 and the early 2000s as a polite term to refer to the mentally disabled. By the 2000s it had become a common insult among children and teenagers, after which it fell out of favor. It was taken over by þroskaheftur, which itself fell out of favor for þroskaskertur in the 2010s.
Derived terms edit
- vangefni (“mental retardation”)
See also edit
- vangefið (adverb, used for emphasis)