Terms for Disability in Russia

[gnomygnomy.livejournal.com]

Hi, all.

I'm looking for ways to describe or refer to people with disabilities in Russian. Not so much the direct translations for conditions I can find in a dictionary, but the more nuanced phrases or expressions. It could be any kind of disability, physical or mental, blindness, deafness, traumatic brain injury, even speech disorders like stuttering.

Also, if anyone could give me some examples of disabled characters (broadly defined) in Russian literature, that would awesome. It could be from classic literature, contemporary fiction or autobiography. Any lead is appreciated. Thank you!

Comments

[mithrilian.livejournal.com]

The most common is инвалид from French, I believe (the accent falls on the last syllable). That is an official legal word, an equivalent of a disabled person.

These seats are reserved for persons with disabilities.
Места для инвалидов.

Mental disability carries a stigma still. Most terms are offensive. Even "ненормальный" -- literally not normal or abnormal is offensive at least as much as stupid is in English speech. Medical term is психическое заболевание -- mental illness. That term is not offensive, but strictly medical. However, all other derivatives are offensive and are used for both to describe an ill person or to offend someone: псих, психический (almost out of usage nowadays, but common about a hundred years ago: "Лови его, он психический!"), психованный (lower speech), психопат(ка) (both medical term and an offense), etc.

Also, дебил, отсталый (from medical умственно отсталый), тронутый, тупой, (slow-witted).

Other disabilities are mostly get described: безногий, безрукий, одноногий, однорукий, парализованный, слепой, глухой, немой. An offensive word is урод that can be used in describing any of those and also uglyness. That last one is one of those old Slavic words that get different meanings in different Slavic languages. Урод is a shortened form from уродился (уродилась) -- someone who was born different. In Russian урод means ugly, in Polish урода means someone beautiful.

[gnomygnomy.livejournal.com]

Thank you for these! How interesting that the Russian and Polish meanings are so different for what appears to be (at least superficially) the same word.

[spiritrc.livejournal.com]

Let me make a small correction. Урод is not a "shortened form" from уродился. Уродиться is a verb literally meaning "to get born" and having a connotation of chance (as in "угораздило родиться", "to manage to get born like that"). Урод is not a shortened form, but a verbal noun. The difference between Russian and Polish connotations of the original verb "уродиться" and subsequent meanings of "урод/урода" has always been amazing to me. By the way, in Ukrainian, as far as I know, "вродливая" also means "beautiful" unlike Russian where "уродливая" = "ugly".