hysteria (n.) nervous disease, 1801, coined in medical Latin as an abstract noun from Greek hystera “womb,” from PIE *udtero-, variant of *udero- “abdomen, womb, stomach” (see uterus). Originally defined as a neurotic condition peculiar to women and thought to be caused by a dysfunction of the uterus.
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yeah, and ‘gay’ used to mean ‘happy.’ word usages change.
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History of the term “hysteria”:
For at least 2,000 years of European history until the late 19th century, the term “hysteria” referred to a medical condition thought to be particular to women and caused by disturbances of the uterus (from the Greek ὑστέρα hystera “uterus”), such as when a newborn child emerges from the birth canal. The origin of the term is commonly attributed to Hippocrates, even though it is not used in the writings that are collectively known as the Hippocratic corpus.[1] The Hippocratic corpus refers to a variety of illness symptoms – such as suffocation and Heracles’ disease – which were supposedly caused by the movement of a woman’s uterus to various locations within her body as it became light and dry due to a lack of bodily fluids.[1] One passage recommends pregnancy to cure such symptoms, ostensibly because intercourse will “moisten” the womb and facilitate blood circulation within the body.[1] The “wandering womb” theory persisted in European medicine for centuries.
By the mid- to late 19th century, hysteria (sometimes called female hysteria) had come to refer to what is today generally considered to be sexual dysfunction.[2] Typical treatment was massage of the patient’s genitalia by the physician and, later, by vibrators or water sprays to cause orgasm.[2] A male counterpart of the diagnosis of hysteria, which then almost exclusively applied to women, was associated with symptoms now mostly considered to be signs of PTSD.
For your reading pleasure, an article on the subject: The feminisation of madness is crazy by Gary Nunn: Women are undervalued because our language stigmatises them as shrill and hysterical.
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Whoops, you’re right. I wonder why I got confused about young black people getting killed by the cops. Not like that happens all the time in this country or something.
You do know the root of the word, yeah?
Thanks to @daneel… and @anon67050589 for posting the same damn thing.
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you’re right, may as well conflate every situation with this one. the particular facts of the case are unimportant.
and here’s a list of other words that have changed meanings over the years, but go ahead and choose the definition that you want, because sexism.
We are talking about structural problems in our society, which are indeed interconnected. The treatment this young lady received would not be the treatment my own daughter would receive, I’m fairly sure of that.
I’m all about acknowledging the fluidity of language. I do think that hysterical is still used in a gendered way.
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you have no idea how much of a mansplaining jackass you look like, do you?
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Let’s have a discussion:
There, that was fun.
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Why are you being sexist against men? /s
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Usage does change, and some words deservedly get dropped. Perhaps it would be possible to refer to her as a baseborn sambo quean without insult? No? I didn’t think so either.
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Sorry, I missed how you knew she had initiated the accident with her bicycle? In some countries, (The Netherlands) the law places the onus for accidents onto car drivers as a default. You need to demonstrate why it was the cyclists fault otherwise it is the drivers fault.
But if she was injured the police do have a responsibility to make sure she receives medical attention. That would involve calling for an ambulance.
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Which is your favorite meaning?
blag (blæɡ)
n
a robbery, esp with violence
vb (tr) , blags, blagging or blagged
- to obtain by wheedling or cadging: she blagged free tickets from her mate.
- to snatch (wages, someone’s handbag, etc); steal
- to rob (esp a bank or post office)
ETA: the etymology is uncertain, but with other “blag” words, such as “blaggard”, it is a corruption of black. This was a classist dig that working people were dirty and untrustworthy, but there are probably other ways one could interpret the black = untrustworthy and violent equivalence.
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Clearly not the best, but is is the most expensive! We have the Beats headphones of healthcare systems 
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