Handicapped

The term "handicapped" originated in the 17th century as a gambling term. The phrase "hand in cap" referred to a game in which one person would claim an item belonging to another and offer something in exchange. An umpire would then decide on the value difference between the items, and all three players would deposit forfeit money into a cap. The two opponents would indicate their agreement or disagreement with the valuation by revealing whether their hands were full or empty. If their hands matched, the umpire would take the forfeit money, but if not, it would go to the person who accepted the valuation. 

Later, in the late 18th century, the term "handicap race" was used in horse racing, in which an umpire would decide on the weight to be carried by each horse, and the owners would indicate acceptance or dissent in a similar manner. As a result, in the late 19th century, the term "handicap" came to mean the extra weight given to the superior horse.

The term "handicapped" came to mean disability in the early 20th century when it was used to describe people with physical impairments who faced barriers in participating fully in society. The word "handicap" was used in this context because people with disabilities were seen as being "handicapped" or disadvantaged by their impairments, which made it more difficult for them to participate in daily life activities.

In some contexts, the word handicapped has been associated with begging (cap in hand) due to the historical practice of people with disabilities being forced to beg for a living. This practice was prevalent in some parts of the world before the development of social welfare programs and disability rights movements. People with disabilities often had few options for employment and were forced to rely on begging as a means of survival.

In the early 20th century, the term "handicapped" was widely used in the United States and other English-speaking countries to refer to people with disabilities. However, in the latter half of the 20th century, the term began to be seen as derogatory and offensive, as it emphasized the person's disability rather than their abilities.