euphemism Hello, so that is my presentation for Topics in linguistics. I would be relieved if somene could tell me my mistakes. Thanks in advance. My paper is going to be about Euphemism, therefore

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euphemism Hello, so that is my presentation for Topics in linguistics. I would be relieved if somene could tell me my mistakes. Thanks in advance. My paper is going to be about Euphemism, therefore, I will give a short overview about my topic. The term euphemism actually comes from Greek, which means roughly “speaking well”. It is a word or a phrase that is used I a specific linguistic and extra-linguistic context for various purposes. There it was used not only for political reasons and in speeches, but also as a stylistic device. Over the years it it still has not lost its importance, though, we connect to it mostly under a different term. So that especially in today’s society euphemism takes an essential role and is often associated with the term political correctness. Moreover, is it used everywhere, though, the meanings can differ, because of social orientation, like culture, religion, tradition and others, thus not all words have the same connotations. Euphemism provides rules and constructions to avoid and camouflage life´s harsh realities. So it is particular used to avoid unpleasant terms and taboo words, though, it can also be used to amuse, downplay or dissimulate ones wish. Thus, it can be the process of making topics that are bitter, like for instance death or disability, presentable for a more polite situation and can protect oneself from embarrassment or emotional discomfort. i.e. "we put the dog to sleep" rather than "we killed the dog" “mentally challenged” or “intellectually challenged” for “dim”, “slow”, ... "collateral damage" for "civilian casualties" So that the key to understand euphemism are avoidance and etiquette. In euphemistic use of language, like seen in the example, one expression is replaced by another. The syntactic form of the preferred expression is head noun + preposition, head N + relative clause (starting with who), or head N + participial (people having). An additional characteristics of the preferred expressions is not only the change of the syntactic pattern from for instance re-modification to post-modification but also the introduction of lexical euphemisms for terms which were often earlier euphemism themselves. i.e. People who are hearing impaired, People with long term or serious and persistent mental illness or psychiatric disabilities, …

Jan 27, 2015 8:47 AM

Corrections · 3

euphemism

Hello, <so that> here is my presentation for Topics in linguistics. I would be relieved if somene could <tell me> point out my mistakes. Thanks in advance.

My paper is <going to be> about Euphemism. <therefore, I will> First I will start out with <give> a short overview <about> of my topic. The term euphemism <actually> originally comes from the ancient Greek word eupheme, which means roughly “speaking well”. It is a word or a phrase that <is> was used in <a specific linguistic and extra-linguistic context for various purposes> . <There> Euphemis <it> was used not only for political contexts <reasons and in>, for instance, in speeches, but it was also employed as a stylistic device. Over the years it <it> has still has not lost its importance, <though, we connect to it mostly under a different term.> although in modern times we tend to designate with other terms, namely..... 
<So that especially> In today’s society euphemism <takes an essential role and> is <often associated with> a core feature of <the> political correctness. Moreover, euphemism is <it> used everywhere, although<,> <the meanings can differ, because of social orientation, like culture, religion, tradition and others, thus not all words have the same connotations.> the way that it is applied varies as it is found in different cultures, religions, and traditions. (give examples)
Euphemism <provides rules and constructions> is a rhetorical technique which employs the resources of language to <avoid> <and> soften or gently sidestep <life´s> the harsh realities of a situation or practice. <So it is> in particular, it is used <to avoid unpleasant terms and taboo words> to indirectly refer to taboo or unpleasant subject matter<, though,> On the other hand, it can also be used as a form of ironic humor <to amuse> as well as as a way of downplaying or <dissimulate ones wish> veiling one's real intentions. <Thus,> For example, it euphemism can be used when <the process of making> formulating content about topics that are bitter, <like> for instance, death or disability. Euphemism provides a means of broaching such topics in a polite and socially acceptable manner, and thereby sparing oneself and others embarassment or emotional discomfort. <presentable for a more polite situation and can protect oneself from embarrassment or emotional discomfort.>
<i.e.>

Here are a few common examples of ephemism in various contexts:

"we put the dog to sleep" rather than "we killed the dog"

“mentally challenged” or “intellectually challenged” for “dim”, “slow”, ...
"collateral damage" for "civilian casualties"
So that the key to understand euphemism are avoidance and etiquette.
Euphemism has a has a characteristic grammatical structure. In euphemistic use of language<, as seen in the examples,> one expression, which I will refer as the __ expression is replaced by another, which I will refer to as the preferred expression.

The syntactic form of the preferred expression is as follows: head noun + preposition, head N + relative clause (starting with who), or head N + participial (people having). An additional characteristic<s> of the preferred expression<s> is not only the change of the syntactic pattern <from, for instance,> from re-modification to post-modification, but also the introduction of lexical euphemisms for terms which were often earlier euphemism themselves.

i.e. People who are hearing impaired,
People with long term or serious and persistent mental illness or psychiatric disabilities, …

January 30, 2015

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