elszigeteltek

Elszigeteltek is a Hungarian term meaning "the isolated ones" and functions as a plural noun or nominal phrase used to refer to people who have been kept apart from others. The word derives from el- (a prefix denoting separation) and szigetel (to insulate or isolate), with sziget linked to the idea of an island, metaphorically turning those affected into “islands” within a larger population.

The term is used in various contexts. In public health, elszigeteltek describes individuals who are placed in quarantine or otherwise separated to prevent the spread of disease. In historical and social contexts, it can refer to groups that were kept apart due to political, administrative, or economic measures, including forms of internal exile or restricted movement. In everyday language, elszigeteltek can also describe people who experience social or geographic isolation, living with limited contact with communities or institutions.

Etymologically, the construction highlights the action of isolating someone and the resulting state of being separated from others. The concept is related to broader notions of isolation, quarantine, and social exclusion, and it appears across medical, historical, and sociological texts in Hungarian.

In modern discourse, the term may be used descriptively to discuss the effects of isolation on individuals or groups, or to critique policies that lead to physical or social separation. It is not tied to a single, fixed historical event, but rather to a range of situations where people are kept apart from the broader society.