浅谈英语委婉语及其社会影响(4)

2.2. Semantic method
2.2.1. Synonym
        For example, “tight” is used instead of “stingy”; “thrift” is used instead of “economical”,“defecate” replaces “shift” and “urine” replaces “piss” . And “mad” is replaced by “crazy”, “insane”, and “lunatic”. Such euphemism aims to use the appreciative term to take the place of the derogatory term.
2.2.2. Negation
       Such euphemism uses the contrary term to express the same meaning, and it could be more useful than synonym in replacing the taboo and make people more understandable and comfortable. We could call stupid people unwise people. “A fat chance” means “a slim chance”and “find words” stands for “bad words”
2.2.3. Vague words and expressions
       That is to make the harsher or offensive words more general. For example, if somebody has some mental problems, we can express it like this: His roof leaks a little; he has a screw loose/missing; he is not at home. There are other examples which use vague expressions, such as disease→trouble, problem; to come across an unfortunate thing→to have an accident; V. D. (venereal disease) →secret disease; to live together illegally→to cohabit; intrauterine device→ring; to rape somebody→to do violence to somebody; prostitute→a woman of the streets, a woman of a certain class, a painted woman, a lady of the night girl; to entertain whorehouse visitors→to see company; whorehouse→house; a squint→an obliquity of vision; a man of bad taste→a man of doubtful taste; strike→industrial action; the poor→the underprivileged, the disadvantaged; in debt→in difficulties; buttocks→behind, bottom, backsides; homosexual→queer; sexual intercourse→intimacy; to be killed→to be put to sleep.
2.2.4. Loan words
Because from the period of Renaissance, Latin, Greek, and French are considered as cultured words[8]. People consider that those languages are more elegant, tactful and ambiguous. In the early 19th century, no matter in Britain or America, people used French word “enceinte” instead of English word “pregnant”. It is popular till now because the former is more elegant, tactful and ambiguous. English borrows words not only from French but also from other languages in many kinds of ways to create its own euphemism. For example, “lavatory” was borrowed from Latin word “lavatorium”, but it lost its meaning of euphemism because of long- time using. Therefore, people borrowed another euphemism from French “toilette” which was respelled into “toilet”, and it became the most popular euphemism referring to lavatory. French words “chemise” and “lingerie” are euphemisms for “underwear” and “blouse” respectively. “sushi” was borrowed from Japanese “すし”. Its original meaning is a kind of Japanese food. People put it into a phrase “a little tongue sushi”, which means “tongue kissing”. The above words mostly belong to the common vocabulary. In addition, euphemisms also borrow some science and technological words and academic words that are cold, clinic and antiseptic. Such words are mainly from Latin and Greek. For example, Latin word “coitus” is a euphemism for “fuck”; Native words “shit” and “piss” are all dirty words, while Latin word “defecation” and Greek word “urination” are all accepted easily.