A Study on English Euphemism

A Study on English Euphemism

Euphemism is defined in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English(1978)asÐŽo(an example of)the use of a pleasanterЈ¬less direct name for something thought to be unpleasant.ÐŽ± The New Edition of the Oxford Concise Dictionary (1976) defines euphemism as ÐŽoSubstitution of mild or vague or roundabout expression for harsh or direct one; expression that substituted.ÐŽ±

Euphemism is to use a polite or vague word or phrase used to replace another word or phrase that is thought of as too direct or rude. The word euphemism comes from the Greek eu, good, and pheme, speech or saying, and thus means literally to speak with good words or in a pleasant manner.

1. Characteristics of Euphemism

EuphemismЈ¬as a language phenomenonЈ¬has some special characteristics. To succeed in learning a languageЈ¬learners of the language should pay much attention to the following features of euphemism.

1 .1 Universality

In almost all cultures there are certain things strongly forbidden by social customs. Generally people try to avoid mentioning the taboos directly. When the taboos (the forbidden things)have to be referred toЈ¬it is likely that people tend to substitute expressions that sound better. So there are euphemisms in almost every language.

1 .2 Culture specificity

The universal existence of euphemism in languages does not mean that euphemisms are identical in different languages. Euphemism has close relevance to culture. Notions and norms upheld by people in different cultures are not necessarily the same. As a resultЈ¬the taboos indifferent cultures are not necessarily the same. What is necessary to be euphemized in one culture may not be necessary to be euphemized in another. For exampleЈ¬the questions about ageЈ¬oneЎЇs marital status or prices of oneЎЇs belongingsЈ¬although inoffensive to ChineseЈ¬should be avoided when conversing with English-speaking people. Of courseЈ¬different cultures may have certain taboos in commonЈ¬for exampleЈ¬the notions of deathЈ¬physical shortcomingsЈ¬old ageЈ¬etc. They are often expressed in euphemistic terms in many languages. We can say that euphemism is culturally specific.

1 .3 Re-symbolism

As we know from the above definitionsЈ¬euphemism is substitution of one expression for another. That is to sayЈ¬euphemism is a re-symbolizing of thingsЈ¬ideasЈ¬or events already symbolized with precision in mindЈ¬The re-symbolizing produces a distance from the euphemisms to taboo words and as a resultЈ¬it produces a distance from the new expressions to the thingsЈ¬ideasЈ¬or events they refer to. This is the very psychological need of people to use euphemisms. In spite of the distanceЈ¬ephemerons should be relevant to the taboos themselves. That isЈ¬the re-symbolizing should provide clues to catch the intended meaning of the taboos as the crude expressions do and at the same timeЈ¬should sound indirect or roundabout or pleasanter.

1 .4 Obscurity

EuphemismЈ¬as a re-symbolizing of thingsЈ¬ideas somewhat overlooks precision and leads to semantic obscurity. For exampleЈ¬death is the precise word to mean that creatures or plants stop livingЈ¬but people avoid mentioning the term and take pains to substitute it with termsЈ¬such as depart from the world foreverЈ¬fall asleepЈ¬pass away, etcЈ¬although these expressions are indirect and ambiguous; people also tend to use the obscure termsЈ¬such as senior citizensЈ¬advanced in ageЈ¬elderly to refer to old. Obscurity is a basic feature of euphemism. Without obscurityЈ¬euphemisms will lose their euphemistic value. Obscurity is a hallmark of all euphemisms.

1 .5 Beautification

Beautification is another characteristic of euphemism. Generally speakingЈ¬taboo words sound unpleasantЈ¬rude and offensive. So people substitute them with euphemisms that sound pleasantЈ¬polite and harmless. People use euphemism to dress the taboos up with beautiful clothes and reduce the unpleasantness of a term or notion. For exampleЈ¬a garbage collector is described as a sanitary engineer in English. People use euphemisms in order to beautify the terms and make them sound pleasanter and less direct.

ўт.Why people use euphemisms

Euphemism is a universal language phenomenonЈ¬and the reasons for using euphemisms are complicated. There are two main reasons. They are psychological need and social need.

2.1 psychological need

Psychologically people are in need of euphemisms. Generally speaking people desire to be safeЈ¬happyЈ¬healthy and lucky. And at the same timeЈ¬People fear something. They fear diseaseЈ¬deathЈ¬old ageЈ¬povertyЈ¬and any sort of disability; they fear supernatural forces thatЈ¬they supposeЈ¬may come from religion and superstition; they fear all the other negative sides of their life. These negative thingsЈ¬notions and events inevitably exist around them and form the taboos in their life. People choose to avoid being contacted with them and even in language they try not to mention them. When they have to be mentionedЈ¬People would resort to euphemisms instead of them. ThusЈ¬People would Psychologically feel as if they were not mentioned. Using euphemisms gives people a feeling that they are some distance to what they fear and resorting to euphemism seems to be a guarantee of their safety happiness health and good luck.

2.2 social need

Besides the Psychological needÐŽÐŽthere is a social need for people to use euphemisms. As we know that in a culture there are certain notions or things strongly forbidden by social customs. Once they are acknowledged by the society, a tacit convention to euphemize them is formed among all the members in the society. To follow the convention and to express the taboos in a pleasanter way become a rule for people to obey. If not, the unpleasantness and the rudeness of the taboo words one uses will certainly make him hurt othersÐŽÐŽfeeling and plunge himself into an embarrassment and eventually make him feel somewhat isolated from the society.

ўу.How people do in euphemizing

There are various methods people can adopt in euphemizing. Paralinguistic devices such as gestures and facial expressionsÐŽÐŽand syntactic devices such as the utilizing of more polite syntactic patterns all can serve the purpose