retard
Meaning
To make something slower or happen later; to delay the progress or development of something.
(offensive, dated) A person who has a mental disability.
Structure
Usage
Cold weather can retard the growth of plants.
The chemical is added to the mixture to retard the setting process.
The use of the term as a noun is considered derogatory and unacceptable.
Etymology
The word 'retard' entered English in the late 15th century from the French 'retarder', which itself derives from the Latin 'retardare'. This Latin verb is a compound of the prefix 're-' (meaning "back") and the adjective 'tardus' (meaning "slow"). The literal construction, "to make slow back," logically evolved into the abstract sense of "to delay or hinder progress." The noun form, referring to a person with delayed development, emerged in the early 20th century from the verb's participial form but is now considered highly offensive and outdated in medical and social contexts.
Analysis
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back," indicating a reversal or backward action. tard: Latin origin, from the root tardus meaning "slow," functioning as the core semantic root.