what exactely is an idiot?!

[rachelralph]

leading on from the term idiot. i have just come across an invalid. she was working as a servant before this and on other census' was fine, would this then be disbaled through an injry or similar?

[stanmapstone]

She could have been disabled by illness or injury.

Stan

[rachelralph]

thanks i did think this. dont know how i would find out what was wrong though 

[stevecw]

Oh I don't rate your chances of finding out what was wrong with her but good luck with it.
As Stan rightly says, it could have been caused by an accident or illness, perhaps something like developing Polio (quite common then?) which may have required a leg brace but I'm not sure whether those in that era with their penchant for putting diplomatic labels on everyone would have classed her as a cripple?
It would be a very, very long shot if you ever found out the reason perhaps pinning your hopes on something like a very long illness and being very poor requiring her to be treated in the "hospital" wing of a Workhouse during the time a Census was carried out to show her there !

stevecw

[busylizzie123]

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~mksimpso/IreDiag.htm

Interesting read Stan.thanks

[whatwasthat]

I had a Great Grand Aunt described as an "Idiot" someone informed me that the word came from "idios" - unable to understand. (Deaf and possibly dumb) Imbecile was another thing altogether apparently. I could google all of this to check but this is just off the top of my head.

[Redroger]

Rachel, It just might be worthwhile getting a copy of her death certificate, the disability might have been a contributory cause of her death. Failing that, I think your chances are remote, however, some employers were better than others. My grandmother lived with us and had been in domestic service with a family in Cambridge for many years. Every week that she lived with us I remember a letter coming fromher former employer, the contents were always the same, except at Christmas her pension a £1 note. This was in the 1940s and early 1950s. At Christmas there was a parcel instead, plus a second parcel from her former employer's daughter who had emigrated to Rhodesia as it was then called. Possibly if your person's employers were of this type they may have made some provision, and left a record of it.

[stanmapstone]

I had a Great Grand Aunt described as an "Idiot" someone informed me that the word came from "idios" - unable to understand. (Deaf and possibly dumb) Imbecile was another thing altogether apparently. I could google all of this to check but this is just off the top of my head.

The etymology of Idiot comes from  Anglo-Norman ideot, ideote, idyot, ydeot uneducated, ignorant person

From the OED Idiot A person so profoundly disabled in mental function or intellect as to be incapable of ordinary acts of reasoning or rational conduct; spec. a person permanently so affected, as distinguished from one with a temporary severe mental illness. Now hist. in technical use.


Imbecile Mentally weak; of weak character or will through want of mental power; (hence) fatuous, stupid, idiotic. (The chief current use.)
Term Idiot  IQ 0 to 25  Modern term Severe learning disability
Imbecile  25 to 50  Moderate learning disability
Feeble minded (moron)  50 to 70  Mild learning disability

Stan

[Redroger]

Useful to know Stan, with a normal (average) IQ of 100, that leaves a very wide margin of people with IQs 71-99 who would be of below average intelligence to a lesser or greater degree. If the more severe levels of disability quoted are congenital then can the category above be improved by nurture?