A good definition borrowed from a literary handbook is the substitution of a mild and pleasant expression for a harsh and blunt one. Some more examples where euphemisms are used to make the. A euphemism is a pleasantsounding expression substituted for an unpleasant or offensive expression on sensitive topics. This bundle contains 5 readytouse euphemism worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of what euphemism is and how it can be used. So whether youre a writer seeking to create a more authentic dialogue, a crosswordpuzzle addict in search of an obscure eighteenthcentury expression, or a reader interested in the more colorful aspects of language, youll find that a wealth of words awaits you in slang and euphemism, third revised edition. We ask for directions to the ladies room or convey the news that someone has recently passed away. In order to prove they havent been replaced by masterpsychologist aliens who havent been in contact with humans in years some characters use the recently invented curse rape my lizard. However, these descriptions are problematic, since what determines them is a set of social attitudes or convention that may vary considerably between dialect groups and even.
The portrait of an artist as a young man by james joyce let him remember too, cried mr. Dysphemism is the substitution of an offensive or disparaging term for an inoffensive one. When someone uses a negative or insulting term in place of a neutral or positive term, it is called dysphemism. Euphemisms in advertisements by margaret amory on prezi. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes to downplay. The word is not part of everyday english when found, its usually alongside euphemism, but the oed does have these later examples. Get an answer for what examples of euphemism are in the book the giver by lois lowry. Notice that the phrased could be considered accurate as long as the idea or word in question truly meets the definition of those words. A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, indirect or vague term for one considered to be harsh, blunt, or offensive.
Worded simply, a dysphemism is a derogatory or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or neutral one, such as loony bin for mental hospital. Examples of dysphemism are cancer stick for cigarette, belly bomb for doughnut, and treeware for books. Now the honest word secondhand is relegated to the ash heap of dysphemism. Investigating dysphemism, we examine the verbal resources for being offensive, being abusive, or just letting off steam. I removed the example, maybe the rest of the paragraph should be removed. A diachronic study of euphemism formation kerry linfootham university of florida, usa abstract this paper examines how very personal linguistic choices are actually products of societal mores and pressures. Elil idol, whose etymology is uncertain it may be the diminutive of. Inherently funny is a free, searchable database of inherently funny euphemisms, words, sayings, phrases, people, animals, and other things. In certain situation using euphemism instead of saying things directly is considered polite. Nov, 2015 the linguistic and cultural phenomenon known as a euphemism is one familiar to many english speakers as a polite or indirect way of expressing a taboo topic euphemisms are linguistic devices which occur in everyday social interactions across the world. The text argues that euphemisms and dysphemisms demonstrate the poetic inventiveness of ordinary people and reveal a folk culture that has received little attention.
Well, im not sure the new york times was consciously trying to trivialise me, but the effect of it is to put everything in the same category as the gossip you read in the magazines you pick up at supermarket counters. I had always read in those girly books that the summer before senior year is a magical time of romance, ice cream. What euphemism is mentioned in the book night by elie wiesel. A booword or dysphemism is a nasty word for an ok thing but also contains an implied sneer and both boo and hooray words are intended to obliterate an opposing viewpoint. A dysphemism is an expression with connotations that are offensive either about the subject matter or to the audience, or both. The literal meaning of euphemisms are sometimes lost in translation, but the more pleasant expression serves to mollify or pacify a readership who may be offended by the literal terms they are emulating. Play euphemism quizzes on sporcle, the worlds largest quiz community. Examples from the egyptians and every other western faith abound. Sentence examples aside from this confusion, this use of homicide as a dysphemism for suicide obscures the singular depravity of suicide terrorism. The objectives of this study are to find out the types and the functions of euphemism found in political articles in the national section of the jakarta post.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Phrases using euphemisms are very common, and are often used to avoid saying. New russian is a euphemism for blackmarket pimp, smuggler, gangster, any tough young man with capitalist cash, and there are lots of them as i remember, it was shortly after the word gay became the euphemism for homosexual by the use of that euphemism it is assumed you seek to address those lukewarm, apathetic or lapsed individuals who think as you do. Theres some obvious overlap with political correctness and there are hints that the author has had at. Definition, usage and a list of euphemism examples in common speech and literature. We will see this in different ways in the examples of euphemisms below. Language used as shield and weapon 9780195066227 by allan, keith. Katamba katamba, 2005 agrees that avoidance of hurting someone is not the major reason for the use of euphemisms. The use of swear words is common in dysphemism and it is often a signal that the person using it is emotionally aroused. Feb 07, 2011 our love affair with euphemisms in euphemania.
A minor species of dysphemism is the pejorative suffix, as in robust ious. This can be a threat situation and hence encourages other people to pay close attention. As political strategies, euphemism minimizes social embarrassment, usually to protect the speaker rather than the audience. It is an expression that has positive emotive meaning, or is at least neutral, for something that is in reality more negative. People invent new words for emotionally charged referents, but soon the euphemism becomes tainted by association, and a new word must be found, which soon acquires its own connotations, and so on. Euphemisms are not as frequent as you might expect.
The worst real estate euphemisms and what they actually mean. What is the difference between euphemisms and dysphemisms. The protection hides unpleasant truths in inoffensive and ambiguous words. Burridge, kate and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. What examples of euphemism are in the book the giver by lois. Euphemism in modern american english zhou lina china youth university of political studies, beijing, china euphemism, as the linguistic and cultural phenomenon, is a lubricant in linguistic communication used in different aspects of social lives. Oct 19, 2009 a garden of original, soontobe popular funny new euphemisms, from town halling to joining the vikings and even emailing the goumad. You can use these euphemism worksheets in the classroom with students, or with home schooled children as well. Various types of euphemisms are found in the bible, including 1 avoidance of direct implication of the speaker should you gouge out these mens eyes rather than our eyes num. It is an expression that seeks to avoid being offensive. Euphemism and dysphemismeuphemismeuphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive word or term for one that is indelicate, blasphemous, or taboo.
So when we talk about bodily functions or death, we tend to use euphemisms to make the message gentler than giving it directly. The gripping hand the sequel to the mote in gods eye by larry niven and jerry pournelle uses an unusual euphemism as a plot point. When applied to people, animal names are usually dysphemisms. A euphemism, put plainly, is a gentler or more polite way of phrasing a thought than what might be the most direct and blunt way of phrasing. Examples of euphemisms are lighter, such as between jobs for unemployed, or. Euphemism is a mild and positive expression used to replace an unpleasant or negative one. Pdf a comparative study of euphemism and dysphemism in. This research is designed by using descriptive qualitative method. Dysphemism is sometimes motivated by feelings such as fear, distaste, hatred, and contempt. May 01, 2015 weve heard some pretty delusional ways to describe architectural features over the years. Dysphemism is an opposite to euphemism, where a mild word is used. Euphemism rhetorical devices literature glossary ultius. Euphemisms go back to the beginnings of the language but the word euphemism itself wasnt defined until thomas blount included it in his glossographia in 1656. Orthophemisms are alternatives to offensive expressions and, like euphemisms, are typically preferred as desirable or appropriate terms.
This study is a linguistic and sociopsychological exploration of a universal human practice. I was asked, for example, why i thought there were so many euphemisms for genitalia. Rawsons dictionary of euphemisms and other doubletalk will appeal not only to those who use words with care and who care about how they are used by others, but to the many people who enjoy browsing through collections of curious facts presented in entertaining, anecdotal fashion. Partridge, published in 1940 by the society for pure english. Whatever the purpose of such a tone is, the effect is to make. Its not what you say its how you say it euphemisms. Euphemisms by margaret amory euphemism replaces a demeaning or offensive word with a nicer word example of language problem relevance maybe well see maybe later every parent ever misleads the audience importance avoiding this problem most parents use it tricks lots of. Dysphemism increases these, sometimes for comic effect. The portrait of an artist as a young man by james joyce.
Euphemism, a good or favourable interpretation of a bad word. Sometimes called doublespeak, a euphemism is a word or phrase which pretends to communicate but doesnt. Euphemisms can be classified into two general types, positive and negative euphemisms rawson 1981. In his opinion, people use euphemisms to deal with social taboos that are individual of every culture. Examples of euphemism a euphemism that we use on a regular basis without doubt is passed away which is a pleasant way of conveying the death of an individual. Our love affair with euphemisms, author ralph keyes explores the power of words and our power over them. A euphemism is a nice way of saying something unpleasant. It is sex written without euphemism and it is quite devoid of tenderness, is in fact chilling, even loathsome. Expressing values in positive and negative euphemisms 23 fixed expressions. Euphemism euphemism comes from the greek for fair speech. Dysphemisms its been a while since i gave a miniature logic lesson, so today i thought id talk about euphemisms and dysphemisms. No matter which human group we look at, past or present, euphemism and its counterpart dysphemism are powerful forces and they are extremely important for the study of language change.
Kicked the bucket is a lighthearted way of expressing that someone has died. The term euphemism refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace. The euphemisms of death used in the bible teach us some lessons both of the reality of death and the hope we have after death if we are. However, i dont know off the top of my head where euphemism is used but you might want to try to look at the part when he is telling one of the guys at the camp that his family is still alive even though they arent. A euphemism is a word or series of words which replaces sad, unpleasant or shocking ideas with softer and nicer expressions. These examples should be found by students searching through newspaper articles, magazines, or online. With thousands of examples drawn from speech, literature, newspapers, television, and film, allan and burridge invite us all to ponder and enjoy the creative products of the human mind as it confronts the problem of talking in different contexts about sex, lust, disapproval, anger, disease, death, fear, and god. Saying passed away communicates the same information but in a more tactful and sensitive manner. Both concepts are approached from the perspective of technical and translation paradigms. This paper explores the translatability of arabic amelioration and pejoration in english subtitling, illustrated with a subtitled egyptian film, ramadan atop the volcano by arab radio and television art. English euphemism as used by native speakers of english and of thai a masters project by rommayasin kaosaad presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the. A euphemism is a generally innocuous word or expression used in place of one that may be found offensive or suggest something unpleasant. They provide an emotive trigger for word addition, word loss, phonological distortion and semantic shift.
What are some of the most common examples of euphemism in. Euphemism is derived from the greek euphemismos, which means auspicious, sounding good. Apr 09, 2008 at the company where i used to work, there was a major layoff one dayhundreds of people, almost a quarter of the companyand the vice president of hr gave a speech in which he referred to it by every euphemism in the book. What is of interest is that edmund wilson himself wished to see such material published. Positive euphemisms are aimed at making denotata or referents look grander and more acceptable, and negative euphemisms decrease negative values that are associated with negative phenomena such as, for example, war, drunkenness, crime, poverty. Communicative functions of euphemisms in persian mohsen bakhtiar. Euphemisms and dysphemisms for death there is virtually no aspect of human experience free from dysphemism.
When convinced that she has been adulterous, othello refers to his wife as strumpet. Rhetorical devices, and rhetoric in general, are often employed to try. He provides an example of the euphemism attorney, which sounds more refined than the word lawyer. Nov 25, 2015 the literally illustrated collection of idioms, metaphors and euphemisms by cotey gallagher is a fun, colorful, beautifully illustrated book about terms that we use every day.
There are always certain lessthandesirable elements to any home and it makes sense to soften the bad things by lying. A euphemism is a literary and rhetorical term that refers to a word or phrase that makes another word or phrase less harsh. For example, according to linguist ghilad zuckermann, israeli prime minister benjamin. A euphemism is a milder word or phrase used in place of a stronger one. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
How people use euphemism to talk about sex is a direct reflection of these social concerns. The objective of using euphemism in the literature is to convey a message. George carlin has stated in audio books and his standup shows that euphemisms soften everyday language and take the life out of it. Word taboo plays perpetual havoc with the methods of historical comparative linguistics, even undermining. We use the word euphemism pretty liberally in modern conversation, but what does it actually mean. After students find 5 or so examples have them share with other students. They are used mostly as an alleviative strategy to soften or neutralise unpleasant expressions and concepts, replacing them with an. Mar 11, 2015 the bible uses several expressions euphemisms for death. In fact, euphemisms have existed throughout recorded history.
The text argues that euphemisms and dysphemisms demonstrate the poetic euphemism and dysphemism. At least not in public speaking where the examples are quite infrequent. As politeness strategies, euphemism minimizes social embarrassment or offence to others. Mar 21, 2017 linguists are familiar with the phenomenon, which may be called the euphemism treadmill. Similarly, blatantly referring to sexual intercourse as having sex sparks negative connotations among children audiences. Euphemisms are used in literature just as they are used in everyday speech. Dysphemisms contrast with neutral or euphemistic expressions. None of the various language rules, carefully contrived to deceive and to camouflage, had a more decisive effect on the mentality of the killers than this first war decree of hitler, in which the word for murder was replaced by the phrase to grant a mercy death. Language used as shield and weapon book, hardcover by keith allan, kate burridge. So in the above example, the freedom fighter phrase would be a euphemism, and the terrorist phrase would be a dysphemism, just as an example. Newsela or the smithsonian tween tribune are good news sources for students to find articles to search for euphemisms.
For example, oftentimes today we refer to someone who is dead as passed as in, she passed away last week or simply, she passed. So, why would we see euphemisms in literature if the. A common euphemism we use for death is to say that someone has passed away. The term euphemism refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant. These diplomatic expressions are called euphemisms, and speakers and writers use them in place of literal phrases to express sensitive. Keith allan, kate burridge published in in new york n. Euphemism examples and definition literary devices. Dysphemism is, roughly speaking, the contrary of euphemism. The literally illustrated collection of idioms, metaphors and. Your grandmother just died of a massive heart attack.
Euphemisms are pleasant or nice words that take the place of direct often more severe language. For example, someone might say theyre taking an early retirement instead of admitting they got fired. A euphemism from the greek words eu well and pheme speak is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions. A comparative study of euphemism and dysphemism in english and arabic with special reference to political discourse council for innovative research article pdf available may 2014 with 1,779 reads. You might also try to look at any scenes that are describing someone dying.
Aug 22, 2019 americans often use euphemisms when talking about sensitive topics such as death and love. Euphemisms for god and jesus, such as gosh and gforce, are used by christians to avoid taking the name of god in a conceited curse, which some believe would go against one of the ten commandments. The translatability of euphemism and dysphemism in arabic. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Casey to her from across the table, the language with which the priests and the priests pawns broke parnells heart and hounded him into his grave. This is a fairly mild example of the sort of thing that turns up in edmund wilsons journals. The paper first examines the nature of euphemism and dysphemism. You never miss the well until the water runs dry, my how time flies by, and still waters run deep.
325 1549 1302 619 991 395 1091 436 932 85 1333 912 187 115 1496 530 1528 741 919 525 50 793 441 264 741 1560 1503 1426 742 666 586 766 1152 1131 907 460 1328 1384 952 1049