Euphemism: “Shield” and “Weapon”

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Euphemism: “Shield” and “Weapon” “Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons” (Aldous Huxley) Apparently, language with its powerful tools is as a living organism reacting and transforming to best serve men. One of the sharpest tools extensively used by humans is euphemistic phrases. Like fire changing the raw into esculent food and powder turning coarse skin into smooth surface, euphemism has worked as an astute device substituting peace for violence, mildness for roughness, and gracefulness for awkwardness since the birth of languages. Naturally, euphemistic expressions are exploited at all levels and in all areas of human society. Studying euphemism, therefore, is highly advantageous for understanding and promoting communication in different circumstances. This paper aims particularly at uncovering people’s specific reasons for using euphemism and at presenting various cases of which these euphemistic expressions are employed. In the interest of setting out the motivations of using euphemistic words or phrases, it is substantial to signify the relationship between taboo and euphemism: … [L]anguage is used to avoid saying certain things as well as to express them. Certain things are not said, not because they cannot be, but because ‘people don’t talk about those things'; or, if those things are talked about, they are about in very roundabout ways. In the first case we have instance linguistic taboo; in the second we have the employment of euphemisms so as to avoid mentioning certain matters directly (Wardhaugh 230). It doesn’t go far to say that the original reason for euphemizing is to avoid taboo. Euphemistic expressions are like
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