Oaths Euphemisms - 6681 Words

A euphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener;[1] or in the case of doublespeak, to make it less troublesome for the speaker.[citation needed] It also may be a substitution of a description of something or someone rather than the name, to avoid revealing secret, holy, or sacred names to the uninitiated, or to obscure the identity of the subject of a conversation from potential eavesdroppers. Some euphemisms are intended to be funny. Contents [hide] 1 Usage 2 Etymology 3 The Euphemism Treadmill 4 Classification of euphemisms 5 The evolution of euphemisms 6 Euphemisms for the profane 6.1 Religious euphemisms 6.2 Excretory†¦show more content†¦The common names of illicit drugs, and the plants used to obtain them, often undergo a process similar to taboo deformation, because new terms are devised in order to discuss them secretly in the presence of others. This process often occurs in English (e.g. speed or crank for meth). It occurs even more in Spanish, e.g. the deformation of names for cannabis: mota (lit., something which moves on the black market), replacing grifa (lit., something coarse to the touch), replacing marihuana (a female personal name, Marà ­a Juana), replacing caà ±amo (the original Spanish name for the plant, derived from the Latin genus name Cannabis). All four of these names are still used in various parts of the Hispanophone world, although caà ±amo ironically has the least underworld connotation, and is often used to describe industrial hemp, or legitimate medically-prescribed cannabis. [edit] The Euphemism Treadmill Euphemisms often evolve over time into taboo words themselves, through a process described by W.V.O. Quine, and more recently dubbed the euphemism treadmill by Steven Pinker. (cf. Greshams Law in economics). This is the well-known linguistic process known as pejoration. Words originally intended as euphemisms may lose their euphemistic value, acquiring the negative connotations ofShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Phonetic Euphemisms747 Words   |  3 PagesA phonetic euphemism is used to replace profane language or cuss words. One version of phonetic euphony is using the first letter of a cuss word, and often times adding the word word after it. For example saying the, â€Å"F-word† instead of saying fuck, or the â€Å"B-word† instead of bitch. In the military, it’s common to say several completely different words using the first letters of profane words. For example, instead of saying, â€Å"What the Fuck†, they would say, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, or BravoRead MorePeculiarities of Euphemisms in English and Difficulties in Their Translation19488 Words   |  78 PagesINTRODUCTION 2 CHAPTER I. THE NOTION OF EUPHEMISMS IN ENGLISH 5 I.1. Definition of Euphemisms 5 I.2. Classification of Euphemisms 6 I.3. Ambiguity and Logic 9 CHAPTER II. SOURCES OF EUPHEMISMS 15 II.1. The Language of Political Correctness 15 II.2. Obscurity, Officialese,Jornalese, Commercialese 20 II.3. Vogue Words 24 II.4. Woolliness 27 II.5. Euphemisms Used in Different Spheres of Our Life 29 CHAPTER III. TRANSLATION OF EUPHEMISMS 34 III.1. Grammatical Difficulties inRead MoreIs Lazarillo de Tormes a Subversive Text? Essay example1468 Words   |  6 Pagesit was written solely with the intention of being a humorous book, I will argue that it is a perfect example of a subversive text. Though oblique, it maintains characteristics stereotypical of subversive literature; such as the use of parody and euphemism to demean the authority of recognised figures 2; in the case of Lazarillo, the church and aristocracy; and the use of self-denunciation as a rhetorical device to allow the anonymous author to subtly manipulate the audience. The content itself isRead MoreLazarillo De Tormes Essay1588 Words   |  7 Pagesauthority of an established system or institution† As I read The Life of Lazarillo De Tormes, I believe it to be a perfect example of being a subversive text. It holds elements such as being somewhat parodical and also holds the characteristic of euphemism in order to undermine and demean authoritativ e peronas, the use of self-denunciation in order to manipulate readers, and much more that prove how subvert this story was. The Life of Lazarillo De Tormes holds content that is controversial. It showsRead MoreExamples of Euphemism1906 Words   |  8 PagesExamples of Euphemism A euphemism is a polite expression used in place of words or phrases that otherwise might be considered harsh or unpleasant to hear. Euphemisms are used regularly, and there are many examples in every day language.   Ads by Google Create eBooks Online, Use Our Free Software to Publish Your Book and Get Paid For It! www.foboko.com Types of Euphemisms To Soften an Expression Some euphemisms are used in order to make a blunt or unpleasant truth seem less harsh. Examples ofRead MoreBorders and Boundries Essay1294 Words   |  6 Pagesits old grandeur of theft and blood--lock the door is what it means now, with racism a trump card to be played again and again, shamelessly, by both major political parties. Immigration, like street crime and welfare fraud, is a political euphemism that refers to people of color. Politicians and media people talk about illegal aliens to dehumanize and demonize undocumented immigrants, who are for the most part people of color (3). Which means that these borders are no more on individualRead MoreAbraham Lincoln: A Moral Unifier? Essay1842 Words   |  8 Pagesrefers to the Confederacy. Instead, Lincoln uses various euphemisms such as â€Å"party† and â€Å"insurgents† (Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address 461). Lincoln’s euphemisms shift the emphasis away from blaming the Southern â€Å"slaveocracy† as a whole, and places it on the insurgents who happen to be Southern (Reid and Klumpp 460). Similarly, in â€Å"Gettysburg†, Lincoln continues unifying by mentioning neither the South nor the North. Instead, Lincoln uses euphemisms such as â€Å"brave men† and â€Å"honored dead† (Lincoln, GettysburgRead MoreEuthanasi The Issue Of Euthanasia1675 Words   |  7 Pagesbe misleading to solely rely on the utilitarian theory to judge that the right to die is ethical, as the theory contradicts other theories of ethics such as the natural law. Response Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide are just feel-good euphemisms, used to deviate the attention from the real issue. All states in the United States, do not allow euthanasia, but six states allow physician assisted suicide. In some states where physician assisted suicide is legal such as in Oregon, the terns‘DeathRead More The History of the Word Damn Essay2378 Words   |  10 Pagesall English swears were lumped together, regardless of the type, and censorship specifically of vulgar words became the norm for mainstream publishing. The fact that damn was only a mild curse did not matter, and it often printed as â€Å"d–––d†, and euphemisms such as dang, dem, and drat were used in its place (Rawson 114), and it was no longer used in modern versions of the Bible. By the start of the twentieth century, damn was usually considered a word that needed to be censored in public speech, booksRead MoreFigure of Speech2507 Words   |  11 Pagesor a nonexistent character. Assonance Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words. Chiasmus A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed. Euphemism The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit. Hyperbole An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or heightened effect. Irony The use of words to convey the opposite of