EUPHEMISM

definition

 it carries a connotative meaning.

 a generally innocuous word or

expression used in place of one that

may be found offensive or suggest
something unpleasant.
 Its opposite is the dysphemism.
examples

To Soften an Expression
 Passed away instead of died
 Correctional facility instead of jail
 On the streets for homeless.
 Differently-abled instead of handicapped or disabled
 Pregnancy termination instead of abortion
 On the streets instead of homeless
examples

To Be Polite
 Adult entertainment instead of pornography
 Adult beverages instead of beer or liquor
 Big-boned instead of heavy or overweight
 Comfort woman instead of prostitute
 Domestic engineer instead of maid
 Sanitation engineer instead of garbage man
 Sleep together instead of have sex
examples

Euphemisms to be Impolite
 Blow chunks instead of vomited
 Dracula's Tea Bags instead of tampons
 Well-hung instead of having a large penis
 Making whoopee instead of sex
etymology

Euphemism
: from the Greek word ευφημία
(euphemia), meaning “the use of good
omen”
: from the Greek root words eu (ευ)
,“good/well”, and pheme (φήμι)
“speech/speaking”, meaning glory,
flattering speech, praise.
 usage

 used by the Ancient Greeks as

euphemism meaning “to keep a holy
silence”
 used to avoid words considered rude

 used for dissimulation, to refer to

taboo topics(such as disability, sex,
excretion, and death) in a polite way,
and to mask profanity.
evolution

 PERIPHRASIS or CIRCUMLOCUTION
: to speak around a given word, implying
it without saying it.
 TABOO DEFORMATION or MINCED OATH

: to alter the pronunciation or spelling of

taboo words.
 PEJORATION or SEMANTIC CHANGE

: process described by W.V.O. Quine and

more recently dubbed the “euphemism treadmill”
Types of euphemism

ABSTRACTION
: Some euphemisms serve to distance
people from unpleasant or embarrassing
truths, as when we say that a dead person
passed away.

Ex : Passed away for die.

Types of euphemism

INDIRECTION
: A euphemism may replace an explicit
description of an action, as when people
speak of going to the bathroom or of others
sleeping together.

Ex: Hide the sausage instead of sex

your place or mine? - when offering sex
Types of euphemism

LITOTES
: Sometimes, euphemism occurs in the
form of this rhetorical device in which the
gravity or force of an idea is softened or
minimized by a double negative, as in the
reference to someone as being not
unattractive.
Ex: "not so big" for short
"not exactly a supermodel" for ugly
"not true" for a lie
Types of euphemism

MISPRONUNCIATION
: Alteration of pronunciation is a form
of euphemism so as not to offend people by
using profanity (figurative or literal).
: These types of euphemisms,
involving rhyme, alliteration, or shortening,
are also called minced oaths.
Ex: shoot instead of shit
gosh instead of god
 Types of euphemism

MODIFICATION
: A bluntly offensive noun can be
transformed into a euphemism by converting it to
an adjective, as in saying someone has socialist
leanings rather than labelling them a socialist
outright.

Ex: "...makes her look slutty" instead of "...is a

slut"
Types of euphemism

PERSONIFICATION
: One form of euphemism is when
things that some people prefer not to
mention candidly, such as genitals, are
assigned personal names.

Ex: "Dick" for penis

Types of euphemism

SLANG
: Much of slang, derived to produce a
vocabulary exclusive to a social group, is
euphemism.

Ex: "screwed up" is a euphemism for fucked up

Euphemism vs. idioms
euphemism
 a substitution for an  an expression, word, or
expression that may
offend or suggest
something unpleasant
to the receiver, using
instead an agreeable or
less offensive
expression, or to make
it less troublesome for
the speaker.
idioms
phrase that has
a figurative
meaning that is
comprehended in
regard to a common
use of that expression
that is separate from
the literal meaning or
definition of the words
of which it is made.