Missing a limb or organ

Status
Not open for further replies.

pizza

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Latin
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
How do you refer (informally) to someone that is missing (1) one eye (2) a leg / foot or an arm / hand.
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
How do you refer (informally) to someone that is missing (1) one eye (2) a leg / foot or an arm / hand.
Usually by their first name, if you know them well. Otherwise, Mr or Ms So-and-So. ;-)
 

pizza

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Latin
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Good one. Ok, so what is the informal / slang word for (1) and (2).
 
Last edited:

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
Good one. Ok, so what is the informal / slag word for (1) and (2).
I don't think there's a general term. If a person has had a limb amputated, you could call them an amputee. But not everyone with a missing limb is an amputee.
A man with one leg is a one-legged man, etc. What's the context in which you want to refer to the person this way?
 

pizza

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Latin
Home Country
Japan
Current Location
Japan
Well, I am trying to translate from Spanish where there are a few words that describe these conditions in ridiculous detail but are not particularly derogative, just informal. For example, while a doctor would probably say amputee, most people in conversation would say mocho (if the person is missing any limb, specially a leg) or manco (if the person is specifically missing a hand), and in the case of a lame person they could use renco or cojo.
 

Raymott

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Australia
Current Location
Australia
Well, I am trying to translate from Spanish where there are a few words that describe these conditions in ridiculous detail but are not particularly derogative, just informal. For example, while a doctor would probably say amputee, most people in conversation would say mocho (if the person is missing any limb, specially a leg) or manco (if the person is specifically missing a hand), and in the case of a lame person they could use renco or cojo.
Yes, the Spanish are good at this, calling fat people "gordo", etc. But in English, we stopped doing that (in the mainstream) about 50 years ago. Translating from Spanish, where it's OK to call a person Fatty, or One-Leg, or One-eye, or Four-Eyes (for a person with glasses) has presented you with a difficult problem.

If the person is repeatedly called el mocho, you'll have to decide if "the one-legged man" or "One-Leg" is appropriate in your text. There are no English slang cognates that would have the same inoffensive meaning as they do in Spanish-speaking countries.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top