The picture of mentally ill people in German colloquial language. Historical and etymological remarks

Author(s): Steinberg, H.

Journal/Book: Psychiat Prax. 2000; 27: Rudigerstr 14, D-70469 Stuttgart, Germany. Georg Thieme Verlag Kg. 321-326.

Abstract: Objective: This paper investigates the picture of the mentally ill in German colloquial language. Method: The empirically collected single words and phrases were subject to systematic semantical, linguo-historical as well as etymological investigations, the results of which were then contrasted with selected psychiatric concepts of the 18th/19th century. Results: Most of the words found aim at the head or brain which are often compared with a mechanism and regarded as the actual starting point of the disease. Other terms refer to blows or other mechanical impressions as the cause of mental illnesses. There is another group of words depicting weakness or even total loss of mind. Some of the ideas expressed by the words or structures analysed coincide with concepts psychiatrists had in the past. Many of the words even had been terms in psychiatric theory before they became part of the everyday language after having been loaded with negative connotative meanings making them inappropriate for being a scientific term. Some lexemes have been taken over from other languages, above all from English. Conclusion: Language mirrors stigmatisation of mentally ill people by society in an extraordinarily drastic way. Thus the colloquial names for them share the same fate as the words for other - ethnic, sexual, whatsoever - minorities: by pure means of language those people are regarded as somewhat strange, not belonging, something negative one does not wish to have contact with. On the other hand however, there have always been attempts to counter this by replacing negatively connotated words by other, neutral or even positive ones. Thus was the introduction of the new word nervenkrank (''ill in the nerves'', cf English brainsick) in the 19th century, making mentally ill people even to bodily ill ones, what meant an enormous enhancement in value for both the patients and the psychiatrists. Today's name Betroffene (''affect-ed'') is another example for those attempts. As can be seen from the historical retrospective this had been the case in former times as well.

Note: Article Steinberg H, Univ Leipzig, Klin & Poliklin Psychiat, Leipziger Psychiat Geschichte, Emilienstr 14, D-04107 Leipzig, GERMANY

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