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European Tribune - Republicans invade Europe! Pt. 1
[The Mongolian?]

Mongoloid race - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Since people with Down syndrome may have epicanthic folds, the condition was widely called "Mongol" or "Mongoloid Idiocy"[48] John Langdon Down, for whom the syndrome was named, claimed in his book Observations on the Ethnic Classification of Idiots (1866), that the Mongol-like features represented an evolutionary degeneration when manifested in Caucasoids. The use of the term "Mongoloid" for racial purposes has therefore acquired negative connotations because of the connection with Down syndrome.


Mongolian isn't really used in English AFAIK? The guy must have been translating from his native tongue.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Thu Oct 16th, 2008 at 06:30:30 PM EST
Mongolian isn't really used in English

It is.  To refer to people from Mongolia.  The country.

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Thu Oct 16th, 2008 at 06:34:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Indeed. I should have written 'in that sense'.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Thu Oct 16th, 2008 at 06:48:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"mongol" was unfortunately long used in British English to refer to a person with Down's syndrome. Not equivalent to "cretin", but not far off.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Oct 17th, 2008 at 03:34:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Pretty much forgotten over the last 30 years though. I haven't come across its use since my childhood.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Oct 17th, 2008 at 03:38:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
George Melly's delightful autobiography 'Rum, Bum and Concertina' has a lower deck chum of his using the adjective Mongoloid to qualify any amazingly good experience or situation. I always took it to refer to Attilan extravagance - but it could just as easily have been 'crazy/exceptional'

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Oct 17th, 2008 at 03:42:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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