~♥~Pinky~♥~

My hearing friends want to curious what is deafies mean? I told them. I have no idea. They found it nothing on dictionary. I told them I guess deaf culture made it up word for deafies. Just a deaf but why deafies?? My friends just wonder.

Can you answer my question? Thank you

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Deafness

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kimpossible

"hearies" = hearing people, "deafies" = deaf people. you could just say "deafs" but some people may actually find that offensive, I guess "deafies" just sounds cuter and more friendly.

JClarke

Deafies is more common known as a deaf group, such as you have a small group of deaf people, and you want to interact with a person such you ask them, you wanna join us, they want to know who would be tagging along -- we say, some 'deafies' such as they would know more easy to see as there will be a group of deaf people more than two people or whatnot.

Is that clear, Pinky?

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Brian

I consider "deafies" and "hearies" to be tacky, low-class and insulting to call deaf and hearing people.

I learnt of the slang words from several chatters at a deaf chatroom back in 1998. Yes, I briefly used the words. You won't ever find me using the slang words anytime on the Internet, and even at a deaf gathering.

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JClarke

same here, Brian and it is rarely used nowadays.

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web730

I don't think that it sounds like rude at all, eventually... that is my pov. In fact I never "hear" like what you said before... anybody?

~♥~Pinky~♥~

Yeah. I understand that clear. My friends never hear of that word before. That's interesting. Is that slang word?

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AlleyCat

I have never cared much for the words "deafies" or "hearies" either. I more or less put doing that in the same category as calling a group of black people "blackies" or a group of blind people "blindies" ... etc. I would never use any such terms.

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~♥~Pinky~♥~

You got good point!

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RedFox

When I first saw the words deafie and hearie, I thought they looked like insulting words because the ie at the end made them seem diminutive.

Tousi

Then, how about hearfies?

VamPyroX

It's probably a word made up by deaf people as a nickname or a slang to shorten "deaf people" to "deafies". The same goes for "hearing people" to "hearies".

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jillio

Exactly. Used in a culturally appropriate context, there is nothing insulting about either term.

jazzy

I like to use deafies and hearies, now I see others think it is plain rude. oh well.

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shel90

Same here but I cant worry about pleasing everyone. If any of my friends find it offensive, I will not use it around them but so far, everyone I know uses those terms. We dont overanalyze them.

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~Shel~

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

jazzy

Life is too boring to be bitch around with words. I guess I would not use those words here on AD alike I did in the past.

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jillio

You can call me a hearie anytime, jazzy! Just don't call me a "nasty hearie."

VamPyroX

Ditto.

It's not really a word I use in public since hearing people don't understand what it means and I don't really know any signs for them when signing to deaf people. Basically, I just sign "hearing" or "deaf" instead of adding "people", "person", etc. It's like saying... "Hey, you see that hearing?" They know what I'm saying anyways.

I pretty much use it when typing on the computer here in AllDeaf, in AIM, or in messages through the mobile devices.

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jazzy

Okay I will not call you nasty hearies.

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deafbajagal

deafbajagal <--------------- Deafie.

jillio

Liebling:-)))

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Liebling:-)))

Those word "deafies" and "hearies" as an abbrevation word for "deaf people" and "hearing people". I find those abbrevation words for deafies and hearies (deafie or hearie - deaf or hearie person/deafies or hearies - deaf or hearing people) are cute...

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PuyoPiyo

I was surprised that some of people do find it offensive even though it sounds so cute to me. I love that word and that word come from the natives! What's wrong with it?

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kimpossible

I don't think it's such a big deal, it's just a way of shortening two terms into one. We already have the capitalized "Deaf" to signify a much larger concept, culturally deaf people who sign the majority of the time. Same idea, applying an abbreviation or a new word to a larger term.

For the record, I also say "blacks," "whites," and "asians", in a non-offensive context.

jillio

Exactly. It is not so much the word, but the context in which it is used. Any term can become offensive if used in an offensive context.

AlleyCat

To each his own, I guess. I never said the terms were offensive. They just aren't my choice of words. I see nothing wrong with calling deaf people "deaf people" rather than deafies, and the same for hearing people.

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Bebonang

Ditto, I don't think it is not rude to say deafies and hearies. This is part of our Deaf Culture. I used them in the Deaf communities in Minnesota, California, New Mexico and Canada. It is not only cute but easy to mention Hearies instead of hearing people and Deafies instead of deaf people. No big deal. I use them here on AllDeaf too. That is my expression of ourselves and hearies.