How do people come up with word retardation?

Answer 1

The word "retardation" means "slowness," with root source in Latin.

To "retard" something means to slow it down.

In music, if you have a part where you have to slow down, it is referred to as "ritardando," the Italian word.

In terms of education, someone who is "Mentally Retarded," is someone who have overall mental slowness. Their learning is considerably slowed compared to the "average."

Answer 2

Well, the term retard means "to slow" as opposed to the more common slang term indicating someone with a mental handicap.

Retardation is merely an extention of the root word, just like "retarded" or "retarder"

Answer 3

the root ward is TARD from Latin:
as in

tardesco -ere [to become slow].

tardipes -pedis [slow-footed , limping].

tarditas -atis f. [slowness , tardiness; dullness, stupidity].

tardo -are intransit. [to loiter , be slow]; transit. [to slow down, hinder, delay].

tardus -a -um adj. [slow , tardy; dull, stupid]; poet. [making slow]; of speech, [measured, deliberate]. Adv. tarde, [slowly].

that was from
http://catholic.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?stem=tard&ending=


but retard has meanings in several fields:
Noun
1. a decrease in speed; "the deceleration of the arms race"
(synonym) deceleration, slowing
(hypernym) speed, swiftness, fastness
(derivation) retard
2. the extent to which something is delayed or held back
(hypernym) delay, hold, time lag, postponement, wait
(derivation) retard
3. any agent that retards or delays or hinders; "flame-retardant"
(synonym) retardant, retardent
(hypernym) agent
(derivation) retard
4. lack of normal development of intellectual capacities
(synonym) mental retardation, backwardness, slowness, subnormality
(hypernym) stupidity
(hyponym) abnormality, mental defectiveness
(derivation) check, retard, delay
5. the act of slowing down or falling behind
(synonym) slowdown, lag
(hypernym) delay, holdup
(derivation) retard

from
http://www.babylon.com/definition/retardation/?uil=English

Answer 4

I do not understand your question. Maybe I have it?