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"Dumb" is another word for mute, but as modern usage has added "stupid" to its meaning, it is considered impolite to call a person with a speech impairment "dumb." People who cannot speak at all are less capable than speaking people in providing an answer to a question. More precisely, they may know the answer instantly, but be unable to convey it quickly to the questioner. This is probably why "dumb" came to be synonymous with "stupid": if you ask a question and someone does not immediately reply, the first assumption is that they are too "stupid" to know the answer. Back in ancient times when the English language was getting all sorted out, non-verbal communication methods weren't as common as they are today, so "dumb" rather easily acquired the alternate definition of "stupid."
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