1.
dementia (older, now-stigmatized term)
An older Japanese clinical term for dementia. Officially replaced in 2004 by 認知症 because the kanji 痴 carries strongly pejorative connotations. Now mostly seen in pre-2004 writing or as a slur.
昔は痴呆症と呼ばれていた。
It used to be called chihoushou (dementia).
痴呆症という用語は差別的だとして廃止された。
The term chihoushou was abolished as discriminatory.
現在は認知症という言葉が使われている。
Today the word ninchishou is used instead.
Compound of 痴 (foolish; idiotic) + 呆 (be stupefied) + 症 (disease). The Japanese government officially replaced this term with 認知症 in 2004 because the kanji 痴 demeans patients.
USAGE:
- Now considered offensive in patient-facing contexts.
- Use 認知症 for modern, neutral reference.
- 痴呆症 still appears in older medical texts and historical discussion of the renaming itself.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 認知症: dementia — current standard, non-stigmatized term
- アルツハイマー病: Alzheimer's disease — a specific cause of dementia