Cripple

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A cripple is a person or animal with a physical disability, particularly one who is unable to walk because of an injury or illness. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from the Proto-Germanic krupilaz^[1]. The German and Dutch words Krüppel and kreupel are cognates.

The word generally came to be regarded^[who?] as pejorative when used for people, in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada during the 1960s. Of late, however, some disabled people and disability activists have taken to using the word "cripple" for themselves in an attempt to "reclaim" the word from a historically prejudiced society, much like gays and blacks sometimes use "dyke" or "nigger" in this manner. In other English-speaking countries, the term is still widely used without pejorative connotations. Cripple is also a transitive verb, meaning "cause a disability or inability".

Cripple may also refer to:

In geography:

• Cripple Creek, a small town in Colorado.

In software:

• Crippleware, a type of shareware that lacks full functionality.

In mass media:

• Cripple Crow, an album by Devendra Banhart.
• Cripple Fight, an episode of South Park.
• Crippled Lucifer, an album by Burning Witch.
• The Crippled Masters, a kung-fu film.
• Cripple Need Cane, a rock band from Los Angeles.
• The Cripple of Inishmaan, an Irish play.
• Hooky the Cripple, a novel by Chopper Read.
• Cripple Clarence Lofton, a blues artist.
• Cripple Creek Ferry, a song by Neil Young.

In criminal organizations:

• The Crips street gang were so named by their early carrying of a cane which gave the impression they were crippled.^{[citation needed]}

In building construction:

• A cripple is a trimmer stud or joist which is shorter than full-length.

References

1. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary

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