noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Refers specifically to the condition of being deaf. Often used in medical or formal contexts.
彼は生まれつきの聾唖で、手話で会話する。
He is congenitally deaf and communicates using sign language.
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
deaf-mutism; deaf-mute person
Can refer to the condition of being both deaf and mute, or to a person with that condition. Note that 'deaf-mute' is now often considered outdated or insensitive in English; in Japanese, 聾唖者 (ろうあしゃ) is a more precise term for a person.
聾唖者のための教育施設が整備された。
Educational facilities for deaf-mute people have been developed.
Compound of 聾 (ろう, 'deaf') and 唖 (あ, 'mute'). The reading ろうあ is on'yomi. The term is Sino-Japanese and has been used in medical and educational contexts since the Meiji era.