Euphemism
Euphemism are those terms or grammatical constructions that we use instead of others, to avoid pronouncing tabooed words , bad words or using harsh, crude, offensive or too direct terms.
It is a way of qualifying the language for different ends and purposes. Some euphemisms are used as a way of respect , to “soften” what has been said, or to prevent a third party from understanding the message (that is, hiding it with other terms), or even for comic, playful purposes.
Its use is very frequent in politically correct language , that is, as a strategy to refer to people in the least offensive and compromising way possible. However, originally, euphemisms were words used to refer to something sacred, religious, that should not be pronounced just like that.
The word comes from the Greek, from the words eu , “good”, and phemi , “to speak”, since in the religion of Ancient Greece there were deities whose names were better not mentioned, especially those linked to the world of the dead: Hades and Persephone, or the goddess of revenge, Ramnusia (“Nemesis” to the Romans). Thus, euphemisms (“good words“) were used to refer to them without tempting bad luck.
Thus, it is common that in ordinary language euphemisms are used to refer to compromising situations, death, sex or everything we prefer to allude to in an indirect, tangential, sometimes even metaphorical way.
Characteristics of euphemisms
- A euphemism cannot be substituted for any other word in such a way that it fully preserves the same cognitive, stylistic and social effects.
- A word can function as a euphemism only if its interpretation remains ambiguous in the hands of the listener, who will interpret it either literally or euphemistically.
- When the use of a euphemism becomes very widespread, it begins to behave more like a synonym than a euphemism.
- Euphemisms can only be detected in the context in which they are uttered and their understanding depends on several factors, including the knowledge, social customs and beliefs of the interlocutors involved in the linguistic exchange.
Examples of euphemisms
Some examples of euphemism are the following:
- To allude to the act of dying, euphemisms are used such as: “rest”, “give up one’s life”, “physically disappear”, “pass on to a better life”, etc. “The well-known writer gave up his life last Thursday, April 4.”
- To allude to old age, euphemisms are used such as: “golden age”, “third age” or “older adult”, etc. For example: “Our company will provide you with whatever you need in your golden age .”
- To allude to sexual relations, euphemisms are used such as: “make love“, “have relations”, “close the bodies”, “merge into one”, etc. For example: “They were making love when the storm came.”
- To allude to the penis, euphemisms are used such as: “virile member” (or sometimes “member” to dry), “male sexual organ”, and even “masculinity” or “manliness”. For example: “The model’s clothes fell off and her manhood was visible to all.”
- To allude to the permission of the State so that companies can freely and openly fire the workers they want, euphemisms are often used such as: “labor flexibility”, “liberation of the labor market”, etc. For example: “With the new labor flexibility , companies will have more resources.”
Some more examples
Some euphemisms are given below , the word it replaces is indicated in parentheses:
- Staff reduction ( dismissal )
- Golden age or third age ( old age )
- pass away ( die )
- person of color ( black )
- Person with different abilities ( disabled )
- Not sighted ( blind )
- Correctional establishment ( jail )
- Armed conflict ( war )
- Residence for the elderly ( geriatric )
- Voluntary termination of pregnancy ( abortion )
- Drunken ( drunk )
- Insane ( insane )
- Sleep the eternal sleep ( die )
- Collateral damage ( civilian deaths )
- Steep your elbow ( drink excessively )
- salivate ( spit )
- virile member ( penis )
- Take the last trip ( die )
- Go to the toilet ( go to the bathroom )
- Have your period ( menstruate )
Euphemism and dysphemism
Euphemisms are the opposite of dysphemisms: if euphemism is a good and correct word to allude to a compromised or tabooed referent, dysphemism is a deliberately incorrect, derogatory, or insulting word that is used instead of a more neutral one, since be it for humorous, satirical purposes or simply to reduce the formality of spoken language.
Examples of dysphemisms are:
- Dysphemisms are used to allude to the act of dying, such as: “kick the leg”, “palmarla”, “espichar”, “cross the páramo”, etc. For example: “Miguelito finally kicked the bucket , compadre.”
- To allude to sex, dysphemisms are used such as: “take”, “fuck”, “garchar”, “squeeze”, “make delicious”, etc. For example: “Those two were seen squeezing in a hotel.”
- To allude to certain trades, specific dysphemisms are used, such as: “matasanos” (doctor), “pullers” (dentist), “abogangster” (criminal lawyer), etc. For example: “I’ll leave you, I have an appointment with the quack .”
