Hurtful Words - Having important awareness of the origin of certain words
Latin in Layman’s - A Rhetoric Revolution
English - June 23, 2023 17:26 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MB - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsCourses Education Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
It is important to be aware of the etymological origins of these words. The roots of many hurtful words are in violence, anger, and contempt. This suggests that these words have been used for centuries to inflict pain and to dehumanize others.
We can all do our part to create a more empathetic and compassionate world by choosing our words carefully and avoiding hurtful and non-empathic language.
Abrasive
Tending to irritate or wear away
From Latin abradere, "to scrape away"
Callous
Unfeeling, insensitive, or hardened
From Latin callosus, "hardened, callous"
Cynical
Distrustful of human nature or institutions
From Greek kynikos, "doglike"
Demeaning
Degrading, humiliating, or causing loss of self-respect
From Old English dēman, "to judge"
Derogatory
Disparaging or belittling
From Latin derogare, "to take away"
Disdainful
Feeling or showing contempt or scorn
From Old French desdain, "contempt"
Insensitive
Lacking the ability to feel or understand the feelings of others
From Latin insensatus, "unfeeling"
Mean
Ill-natured, spiteful, or unkind
From Old English mægen, "might, strength"
Malicious
Having or showing a desire to do evil to others
From Latin malus, "bad"
Nasty
Offensive, unpleasant, or disagreeable
From Old English nǣstig, "filthy"
Obnoxious
Highly offensive or disagreeable
From Latin obnoxius, "exposed to danger"
Pitiless
Having or showing no pity or compassion
From Latin impius, "unholy"
Rude
Discourteous, impolite, or ill-mannered
From Old English rūþ, "rough, harsh"
Spiteful
Feeling or showing malice or ill will
From Old English spiþig, "sharp, piercing"
Stigmatize
To mark or brand as disgraceful or taboo
From Greek stigma, "mark, brand"
Vicious
Aggressively violent or harmful
From Latin vix, "force"