Re: vulgarisms
| From: | Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> |
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| Date: | Thursday, November 12, 1998, 1:52 |
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John Cowan wrote:
> Most ironically, it comes from French "cretin" < "chretien" = "Christian"!
> Why, I do not know. English also has "cretin".
In English, the word was originally a euphemism for the mentally
challenged, but soon became a term of abuse.
--
"It has occured to me more than once that holy boredom is good and
sufficient reason for the invention of free will." - "Lord Leto II"
(Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert)
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