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1、1．IntroductionTheword“euphemism”originalcomesfromtheancientGreek.Theprefix“eu”meanswell,andtheroot“pheme”meansspeechorsaying.Thuseuphemismliterallymeanstospeakinapleasantwayorwithgoodwords.TheOxfordDictionarydefine“euphemism”asanindirectwayforpeopleoftentousetorefertoso
2、methingembarrassingorunpleasant,sometimestomakeitseemmoreacceptablethanitreallyis.Similarly,euphemismalsobelongstoakindoffiguresofspeech,inwhichindirectnessreplacesdirectnessofstatement,usuallyinanefforttoavoidoffensivebluntnessinsomesubjectinvolvingdelicacyortaboo.Noma
3、tterwhatdefinitionisgiven,euphemismhasbeenawidelyusedlanguage,andworksinmultiareas,suchasdeath,age,disease,physicalimperfectionandsoon.Yetlessofwhichrefertotheotherfields,suchasjobs,professions,somesocialissuesaswellassomecurrenthottopics.Euphemismshavebeenstudiedinplen
4、tyoffields,suchassocialcommunication,newspapers,advertisement,teachingfield,militaryaffairs,andpoliticalevents.Sinceitactsasakindofculturephenomenonandplaysanimportantroleincommunication,itisofgreatimportancetofocusonstudyingitspragmaticfunctions.Euphemismisintendedcomm
5、unicationmethod,soonemustpayattentiontowhatheistalkingabout,whoheistalkingwith,whereheistalkingandwhyheistalkinglikethatwhileusingeuphemism.2.FormationofEnglishEuphemism2.1PhoneticApproachEnglishisanalphabeticlanguage,whichhasprovidedamplesourcesforthecreationofeuphemis
6、m.Thefollowingwaysareusedtoachieveaeuphemisticeffect.2.1.1ClippingItmeanstoreducesomefrontorbacksyllablesofawordforevasiveness.Forexample,“Ladies”forLadies’room,“gents”forGentlemen’sRoom,and“ca”forcancer.2.1.2Initialing10Itrefersthatputtingthefirstlettersofeachphasetoge
7、thertoconstituteanexpressionofeuphemism,forexample,“WC”for“watercloset”,“VD”for“venerealdisease”,“BO”for“bodyodour”,and“AD”for“thosewhoswingbothways”.2.1.3RespellingThisapproachmeanstheformationoftheeuphemismrepeatsawordorthesyllableinaword,orpartoftheletter,forexample,
8、“helter-skelter”.Thisapproachinformingeuphemismiscommonlyusedinthesituation.Whenachildgoestothetoilet,suchas“P
