Euphemism I. Overall Introduction of EuphemismA.

Euphemism
    Good morning, boys and girls. In today’s lecture, we will focus on euphemism. The word euphemism comes from Greek, " eu-" means " good " or " well" ,(1)the root " -phem " means "speech" ,and "-ism" is a noun suffix. It means literally "speaking with good words or in a pleasant manner". The record use of euphemism is found until the eleventh century BC.
    As one form of language, euphemism is a common phenomenon. It is widely used in human society. Euphemism can reduce sensitivity and irritation of expression. People use it to substitute indirect word or phrase. Euphemism also reflects some cultural differences. People in different language groups use different ways to express euphemism.
    First, we will have a look at the origin of euphemism.
     (2)Euphemism originates from verbal taboo, which originates from religion superstition, reflecting the importance of social psychology. Almost every culture has its own taboo. People dare not call something by name directly because of the psychology of fear. So people work out indirect terms to replace them. The euphemisms come into being. People feel they are far away from fear when they use euphemism. In a word, euphemism is mild, roundabout words used in place of coarse, offensive, or painful ones.
    So, what is euphemism?
    Euphemism has been defined differently in different books. Here I will cite two most commonly used as follows: 1)Euphemism is substitution of mild or vague or roundabout expression for harsh or blunt or direct one. 2)(3)Euphemism is a polite,tactful,or less explicit term used to avoid the direct naming of an unpleasant painful or frightening reality.
    All these definitions above share the same point: Euphemism is a polite,roundabout,and indirect mode of expression which is used to talk about something unpleasant. It can make the unpleasant things sound better,and make people feel good:it can make both speaker and hearer avoid losing face.
    Then, how can euphemism be classified?
    Euphemism can be classified into many types from different angles.
    Hugh Rawson divides euphemisms into two types:the positive and the negative from the angle of semantics. The positive euphemisms can be named stylistic ones,which "inflate and magnify the word meaning, making the euphemized seem altogether grander and more important than they really are. "(4)The negative euphemisms are extremely ancient,and closely connected with the taboos. They are also called " traditional euphemisms". They deflate and diminish. " They are defensive in nature offsetting the power of tabooed terms and otherwise eradicating from the language everything that people prefer not to deal with directly. "
    According to different standards, there also exist many other classifications of euphemisms. For example ,(5)all euphemisms, whether positive or negative, can be divided into two classes: unconscious and conscious according to whether people remember their original motivations or not. Some euphemisms developed so long ago that hardly anyone remembers how they were originally motivated. Take " indisposition" for instance, the original meaning of the word is " incapacity to deal with something" and its euphemistic meaning is "slight illness or ill health" ,which has been frequently used for so long that people hardly think of the original meaning.
    As in cross-cultural communications, we also cannot avoid mentioning some differences in the use of euphemism.
    First, what is culture?
    Culture refers to the entire way of a society such as customs, traditions, social habits, values, beliefs and language. Different cultures have their own different history, politics and way of thinking. The value and moral concepts implied in English and Chinese Euphemisms are different.
    Next, we’d like to talk about some uses of euphemism related to different aspects of culture.
    First, euphemisms related to names.
    The Chinese culture places an emphasis on name.(6)In ancient times, people cannot call the emperor’s name. The common people even have no right to mention the characters having the same sound as the emperor’s name. However,British and American people think that God created the human, all men are created equal,and there are few euphemisms about name in English. They even call their parents’ name directly to show the friendly relation. Furthermore, it is inoffensive for the young to have the same names as the old people. This kind of cultural system is different from that of China.
    Second, euphemisms related to excretions.
    English has variety of euphemisms in this category. Excreta and acts of human excretion are to be avoided in polite conversation. People do not say "go to the toilet" or "go to stool".(7)They use "to fix one’s face""to freshen up""to pick a daisy""to relieve or to relieve nature""get some fresh air" , etc. as their euphemisms.
    Third, euphemisms related to death.
    Death is an inevitable stage at the end of one’s life’s journey. People use euphemisms to respect the dead, or to memorize them, sometimes to praise them, sometimes only to avoid using this dreadful word.
    Fourthly, euphemisms related to old age.
    Chinese and English have different feeling about "old age".(8-1)Chinese is proud of being old. In Chinese there are few euphemisms for old, which show more respect to old people and old people are thought to be more experienced.(8-2)However, Americans are afraid of becoming old. They want to act,feel and look young. In their opinion,the old people live a lonely life and are no longer energetic, so there are a lot of mild and roundabout expressions to show this concept of "old age" vocabulary.
    Last, euphemisms related to fatness.
    In western countries, " fat" is a symbol of stupid, so to mention the word " fat" directly is impolite. The people who have no self-made dint will deliver fat,so the word "fat" is a word which contains the derogatory sense.(9)The euphemism of "fat" is "weight-watcher" in English. And people say "heavyset" or "on the heavy side" to express euphemistic sense. But the fatness contains commendatory more in the Chinese language.
    As a phenomenon of language, euphemism is observed everywhere in all human societies and it is widely used in all human interactions. People always try to avoid the language leading to unpleasantness.(10)It is not only the grease of language,but also the accumulation of social culture. Euphemism indicates that the language is restricted and affected by society and culture.
    That’s all for today’s lecture, thanks for listening. In our next lecture, we will get a close look at the principles of euphemisms.