| LC control no. | sh 85002087 |
|---|---|
| LC classification | HQ1060 HQ1064 Sociology HV1450 HV1494 Public welfare |
| Topical heading | Older people |
| Variant(s) | Aged Aging people Elderly people Old people Older adults Older persons Senior citizens Seniors (Older people) |
| See also | Age groups Persons Gerontocracy Gerontology Old age |
| Scope note | Here are entered works on people older than middle age. |
| Found in | American heritage dict.: Usage note under 'Old' ("'Old'is the bluntest of the adjectives most commonly used in referring to advanced or advancing age. It generally suggests at least a degree of age-related infirmity, and for that reason it is often avoided in formal or polite speech. Many prefer 'elderly' as a more neutral and respectful term, but it too can suggest frailty, especially in reference to individuals as opposed to a group or population. And while 'senior' enjoys wide usage as both a noun and adjective in many civic or social contexts, it is often considered unpleasantly euphemistic in a phrase such as 'the senior couple living next door.' As a comparative form, 'older' would logically seem to indicate greater age than 'old.' Except when a direct comparison is being made, however, the opposite is generally true. The 'older man in the tweed jacket' suggests a somewhat younger or more vigorous man than if one substitutes 'old' or 'elderly.' Where 'old' expresses an absolute, an arrival at old age, 'older' takes a more relative view of aging as a continuum-older, but not yet old. As such, 'older' is more than just a euphemism for the blunter 'old', offering as it does a more precise term for someone between middle and advanced age. And unlike 'elderly', 'older' does not particularly suggest frailness or infirmity, making it the natural choice in many situations.") AARP Web site, Feb. 12, 2004 (older people; older persons; older adults; elderly people; elderly persons; senior citizens; seniors) U.S. Joint Resolution Designating the Third Sunday of August of 1990 as "National Senior Citizens Day." Public Law 101-342. Hennepin (Seniors) |
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