deaf-blind
Meaning
having a significant degree of both hearing and sight loss
Structure
Usage
the school provides specialized education for deaf-blind children.
she is a renowned advocate for the deaf-blind community.
tactile sign language is a crucial communication method for many deaf-blind individuals.
Etymology
the compound adjective 'deaf-blind' is a modern english formation that combines two ancient sensory descriptors of germanic origin. 'deaf' derives from proto-germanic daubaz, related to a sense of being dull or obtuse, while 'blind' comes from proto-germanic blindaz, with an original sense of clouded or obscure. these two old english words, each describing a profound lack of a primary sense, were joined in the 19th century to create a specific clinical and descriptive term. the logic of the compound is transparently additive, directly and efficiently denoting the co-occurrence of both sensory impairments.
Analysis
'deaf' is from old english 'dēaf', meaning lacking the sense of hearing. 'blind' is from old english 'blind', meaning lacking the sense of sight. both are adjectives.