vangefinn

From van- (“too little, short of, lacking in”) +‎ gefinn (“given, gifted”). Compare vel gefinn (“intelligent”, literally “well given”), illa gefinn (“unintelligent”, literally “badly given”), and English gifted.

• IPA^(key): /ˈvaiɲˌcɛvɪnː/

vangefinn

1. (dated) mentally disabled, mentally retarded, mentally handicapped

   Synonyms: þroskaskertur, þroskaheftur

2. (informal, offensive) retard, imbecile, idiot, person who has made a foolish mistake

   Synonyms: hálfviti, asni

   Hvað er að þér, ertu eitthvað vangefinn?! ― What is the matter with you, you imbecile!

Was used between approximately 1930 and the early 2000s as a polite term to refer to the mentally disabled. By the 2000s it had become a common insult among children and teenagers, after which it fell out of favor. It was taken over by þroskaheftur, which itself fell out of favor for þroskaskertur in the 2010s.

• vangefni (“mental retardation”)

• vangefið (adverb, used for emphasis)