cretin

cretin
cretin
now pronounced kret-in, was originally used to mean (in current terminology) ‘a person who is deformed and mentally retarded as the result of a thyroid deficiency’ and is etymologically related to the word Christian. Its dominant meaning in general use now (first recorded in the 1930s) is ‘a fool, one who behaves stupidly’. This use is widely regarded as offensive.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • crétin — crétin, ine [ kretɛ̃, in ] n. • 1750; valaisan crétin, var. de chrétien « innocent » 1 ♦ Personne atteinte de crétinisme, par insuffisance thyroïdienne. ⇒ idiot, goitreux. « C est une espèce d “innocente”, de crétine, de “demeurée” » (Proust). 2… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • cretin — CRETÍN, Ă, cretini, e, adj., s.m. şi f. (Persoană) care suferă de cretinism; imbecil, idiot. ♦ (Om) stupid, absurd. – Din fr. crétin. Trimis de RACAI, 30.09.2003. Sursa: DEX 98  CRETÍN adj., s. v. idiot. Trimis de siveco, 13.09.2007. Sursa:… …   Dicționar Român

  • Cretin — may refer to: Cretinism Cretin Derham Hall High School Cretin Hall Joseph Crétin (1799–1857), bishop Parliamentary cretinism This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an …   Wikipedia

  • Cretin — Cretin, Crétin Variante de Chrétien (voir ce nom), rencontrée surtout en Franche Comté, où l on trouve aussi la variante Chretin, Chrétin. Diminutifs : Cretineau, Crétineau (37), Cretinon, Crétinon (38), Chretinat, Chrétinat (10) …   Noms de famille

  • Crétin — Cretin, Crétin Variante de Chrétien (voir ce nom), rencontrée surtout en Franche Comté, où l on trouve aussi la variante Chretin, Chrétin. Diminutifs : Cretineau, Crétineau (37), Cretinon, Crétinon (38), Chretinat, Chrétinat (10) …   Noms de famille

  • cretin — 1779, from Fr. crétin (18c.), from Alpine dialect crestin, a dwarfed and deformed idiot of a type formerly found in families in the Alpine lands, a condition caused by a congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones, from V.L. *christianus a… …   Etymology dictionary

  • cretin — [krēt′ n; ] Brit [ kre′tin] n. [Fr crétin, dial. form of chrétien; lit., Christian, hence human being (in contrast to brutes) < LL(Ec) Christianus,CHRISTIAN: sense development as in SILLY] 1. a person suffering from cretinism 2. a very stupid… …   English World dictionary

  • Cretin — Cre tin (kr[=e] t[i^]n), n. [F. cr[ e]tin; of uncertain origin.] One afflicted with cretinism. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cretin — (spr. Kreteng, vom romanischen Cretina, elendes Geschöpf), Name der ursprünglich in Graubündten u. Unterwallis, in neuerer Zeit aber allen von Kindheit an, unter Verkümmerung der körperlichen [523] Entwickelung, an einer eigenen Art von Blödsinn… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Crétin — (spr. täng), s. Kretinismus …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Cretin — Cretin, s. Kretin …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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