euphemism - Revision history

MrDog: Reverted edits by Douche (Talk) to last version by Rev 22

2010-11-19T21:10:32Z

Reverted edits by Douche (Talk) to last version by Rev 22

Douche at 05:46, 18 November 2010

2010-11-18T05:46:56Z

Rev 22: Reverted edits by Lib21 (Talk); changed back to last version by 63.86.88.10

2007-10-24T21:41:24Z

Reverted edits by Lib21 (Talk); changed back to last version by 63.86.88.10

Lib21 at 18:47, 24 October 2007

2007-10-24T18:47:19Z

63.86.88.10 at 19:32, 15 October 2007

2007-10-15T19:32:32Z

63.86.88.10 at 19:31, 15 October 2007

2007-10-15T19:31:14Z

beta m: /* See also */

2005-08-10T10:01:16Z

‎See also

beta m: from Wikipedia

2005-08-10T09:58:53Z

from Wikipedia

New page

A '''euphemism''' is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces.

When a phrase is used as a euphemism, it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped. Euphemisms are often used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in [[public relations]] and [[politics]], where it is sometimes called [[doublespeak]]. There are also superstitious euphemisms, based (consciously or unconsciously) on the idea that words have the power to bring bad fortune (for example, not speaking the word "cancer"; see [[#Etymology|Etymology]] and [[#Common examples|Common examples]] below) and religious euphemisms, based on the idea that some words are sacred, or that some words are spiritually imperiling (''taboo''; see [[#Etymology|Etymology]] and [[#Religious euphemisms|Religious euphemisms]] below).

==Etymology==

The word '''euphemism''' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''euphemos'', meaning "auspicious/good/fortunate speech" which in turn is derived from the Greek root-words ''eu'' (ευ), "good/well" + ''pheme'' (φήμη) "speech/speaking". The ''eupheme'' was originally a word or phrase used in place of a religious word or phrase that should not be spoken aloud (see [[taboo]]). The primary example of taboo words requiring the use of a euphemism are the unspeakable names for a deity, such as [[Persephone]], [[Hecate]], [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]] or [[Yahweh]]. By speaking only words favorable to the gods or spirits, the speaker attempted to procure good fortune by remaining in good favor with them.

[[Historical linguistics]] has revealed traces of '''taboo deformations''' in many languages. Several are known to have occurred in [[Indo-European]], including the original Indo-European words for ''[[bear]]'' (''*rtkos''), ''[[wolf]]'' (''*wlk<sup>w</sup>os''), and ''[[deer]]'' (originally, ''hart''). In different Indo-European languages, each of these words has a difficult [[etymology]] because of taboo deformations — a euphemism was substituted for the original, which no longer occurs in the language. An example is the Slavic root for ''bear''—''*medu-ed-'', which means "honey eater".

In some [[Austronesian languages|languages of the Pacific]], using the name of a deceased chief is taboo. Since people are often named after everyday things, this leads to the swift development of euphemisms. These languages have a very high rate of vocabulary change.


==The "euphemism treadmill"==
Euphemisms can eventually become [[taboo word]]s themselves through a process the linguist [[Steven Pinker]] has called the ''euphemism treadmill'' (''cf.'' [[Gresham's Law]] in [[economics]]).

Words originally intended as euphemisms may lose their euphemistic value, acquiring the negative connotations of their referents. In some cases, they may be used mockingly and become dysphemistic.

For example, ''toilet room'', itself a euphemism, was replaced with ''bathroom'' and ''water closet'', which were replaced (respectively) with ''rest room'' and ''W.C.''; similarly, ''funeral director'' replaced ''[[mortician]]'', which replaced ''undertaker''. In [[American English]], the original sense of ''homely'' ("comfortable, cozy") has been superseded by the once-euphemistic sense "plain-looking," which is now simply insulting ("ugly").

Connotations easily change over time. ''Idiot'' was once a neutral term, and ''moron'' a similar one.  Negative senses of a word tend to crowd out neutral ones, so the word ''retarded'' was pressed into service to replace them. Now that too is considered rude, and as a result, new terms like ''mentally challenged'' or ''special'' have replaced ''retarded''. In a few decades, calling someone ''special'' may well be a grave insult. A similar progression occurred with
:''crippled → handicapped → disabled → differently-abled

The euphemism treadmill also occurs with notions of [[profanity]] and obscenity, but in the reverse direction. Words once called "offensive" were later described as "objectionable," and later "questionable."

A complementary "dysphemism treadmill" exists, but is more rarely observed. One modern example is the word "[[sucks]]." "That sucks" began as American slang for "that is very unpleasant", and is shorthand for "that [[Oral sex|sucks dick]]." It developed over the late-[[20th century]] from being an extremely vulgar phrase to near-acceptability.

==Classification of euphemisms==

Many euphemisms fall into one or more of these categories:
* Terms of foreign origin (''derriere'', ''copulation'', ''perspire'', ''urinate'')
* Abbreviations (''SOB'' for "son of a bitch")
* Abstractions (''it'', ''the situation'', ''go'')
* Indirections (''behind'', ''unmentionables'')
* Mispronunciation (''goldarnit'', ''freakin'')
* Plays on abbreviations ("barbecue sauce" for "bull shit" or "sugar honey ice tea" for "shit")

There is some disagreement over whether certain terms are or are not euphemisms. For example, sometimes the phrase ''visually impaired'' is labeled as a [[politically correct]] euphemism for ''[[blindness|blind]]''. However, visual impairment can be a broader term, including, for example, people who have partial sight in one eye, a group that would be excluded by the word ''blind''.

There are three [[antonym]]s of euphemism, ''[[dysphemism]]'', ''cacophemism'', and ''power word''. The first can be either offensive or merely humorously deprecating with the second one generally used more often in the sense of something deliberately offensive. The last is used mainly in arguments to make one's point seem more correct than opponent's.

==The evolution of euphemisms==

Euphemisms may be formed in a number of ways. ''[[Periphrasis]]'' or ''circumlocution'' is one of the most common -- to "speak around" a given word, implying it without saying it. Over time, circumlocutions become recognized as established euphemisms for particular words or ideas.

To alter the pronunciation or spelling of a taboo word (such as a [[swear word]]) to form a euphemism is known as ''taboo deformation''. There are an astonishing number of taboo deformations in English, of which many refer to the infamous [[four-letter word]]s. In [[American English]], words which are unacceptable on television, such as ''[[fuck]]'', may be represented by deformations such as ''freak'' — even in children's cartoons. Some examples of [[Cockney rhyming slang]] may serve the same purpose — to call a person a ''berk'' sounds less offensive than to call him a ''[[cunt]]'', though ''berk'' is short for ''Berkshire Hunt'' which rhymes with ''cunt''.

[[Bureaucracy|Bureaucracies]] such as the [[military]] and large [[corporation]]s frequently spawn euphemisms of a more deliberate (and to some, more sinister) nature. Organizations coin ''[[doublespeak]]'' expressions to describe objectionable actions in terms that seem neutral or inoffensive. For example, a term used for radiation leaked from an improperly operated [[nuclear power plant]] (excuse me, a ''steam electric station'') is ''sunshine units''.

Militaries at [[war]] frequently do kill people, sometimes deliberately and sometimes by mistake; in doublespeak, the first may be called ''neutralizing the target'' and the second ''[[collateral damage]]''. A common term when a [[soldier]] accidentally is killed (''buy the farm'') by the side they are fighting for is ''[[friendly fire]]''.

''[[execution (legal)|Execution]]'' is an established euphemism referring to the act of putting a person to death, with or without judicial process. Likewise, industrial unpleasantness such as [[pollution]] may be toned down to ''outgassing'' or ''runoff'' — descriptions of physical processes rather than their damaging consequences. Some of this may simply be the application of precise technical terminology in the place of popular usage, but beyond precision, the advantage of technical terminology may be its lack of emotional undertones, the disadvantage being the lack of [[real life|real-life]] [[context]].

==Euphemisms for the profane==

Profane words and expressions are generally taken from three areas: [[religion]], [[excretion]], and [[sex]]. While [[profanity|profanities]] themselves have been around for some time, their limited use in public and by the [[media]] has only in the past decade become socially acceptable, and there are still many expressions which cannot be used in polite conversation. The common marker of acceptability would appear to be use on [[prime-time]] [[television]] or in the presence of children. Thus, ''damn'' (and most other religious profanity) is acceptable, and as a consequence, euphemisms for religious profanity have taken on a very stodgy feeling. Excretory profanity such as ''piss'' and ''[[shit]]'' may be acceptable in adult conversation, while euphemisms like ''Number One'' and ''Number Two'' are preferred for use with children. Most sexual terms and expressions either remain unacceptable for general use or have undergone radical rehabilitation (''[[penis]]'' and ''[[vagina]]'', for instance).

===Religious euphemisms===
Euphemisms for [[God]] and [[Jesus]] are used by Christians to avoid taking the name of God in a vain oath, which would violate one of the [[Ten Commandments]]. Euphemisms for [[hell]], [[damnation]], and the [[devil]], on the other hand, are often used to avoid invoking the power of the adversary.

===Excretory euphemisms===

While ''urinate'' and ''defecate'' are not euphemisms, they are used almost exclusively in a clinical sense. The basic Anglo-Saxon words for these functions, ''piss'' and ''shit'', are considered vulgarities, despite the use of ''piss'' in the [[King James Version|King James Bible]] (in Isaiah 36:12 and elsewhere).

The word ''[[manure]]'', referring to animal feces used as fertilizer for plants, literally means "worked with the hands", alluding to the mixing of manure with earth. Several [[zoo]]s market the byproduct of elephants and other large herbivores as ''Zoo Doo'', and there is a brand of [[chicken]] manure available in garden stores under the name ''Cock-a-Doodle Doo''.

There are any number of lengthier [[periphrasis|periphrases]] for excretion used to excuse oneself from company, such as to ''powder one's nose'' or to ''see a man about a horse'' (or ''dog''). Slang expressions which are neither particularly euphemistic nor dysphemistic, such as ''take a leak'', form a separate category.

===Sexual euphemisms===

The term ''pudendum'' for the genitals literally means "shameful thing". ''Groin'' and ''crotch'' refer to a larger region of the body, but are euphemistic when used to refer to the genitals.

Virtually all other [[sexual slang|sexual terms]] are still considered profane and unacceptable for use even in a euphemistic sense.

==Euphemisms for death==

The English language contains numerous euphemisms related to dying, [[death]], [[burial]], and the people and places which deal with death. The practice of using euphemisms for death is likely to have originated with the [[Magical thinking|"magical"]] belief that to speak the word 'death' was to invite death (where to "draw Death's attention" is the ultimate bad-fortune -- a common theory holds that death is a taboo subject in most English-speaking cultures for precisely this reason).

Most commonly, one is not dying, rather, ''fading quickly'' because ''the end is near''. Death is referred to as having ''passed away'' or ''departed''. ''Deceased'' is a euphemism for 'dead', and sometimes a dead person may be referred to as ''"late"''(i.e.: "The late (name)"). Sometimes the ''deceased'' is said to have ''gone to a better place'', but this is used primarily among the religious with a concept of [[heaven]].

There are many euphemisms for the dead body, some polite and some profane, as well as [[dysphemism]]s such as ''worm food'', or ''dead meat''. The corpse was once referred to as ''the shroud (or house or tenement) of clay'', and modern funerary workers use terms such as ''the loved one'' (title of a [[novel]] about [[Hollywood]] undertakers by [[Evelyn Waugh]]) or ''the dearly departed''. (They themselves have given up the euphemism ''funeral director'' for ''grief therapist'', and hold ''arrangement conferences'' with relatives.) Among themselves, mortuary technicians often refer to the corpse as the ''client''.

Contemporary euphemisms for death tend to be quite colorful, and someone who has died is said to have ''passed away'', ''passed on'', ''bit the big one'', ''bought the farm'', ''croaked'', ''given up the ghost'', ''kicked the bucket'', ''gone south'', ''tits up'', ''shuffled off this mortal coil'' (from [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]''), or ''assumed room temperature''. When buried, they may be said to be ''pushing up daisies'' or ''taking a dirt nap''. There are hundreds of such expressions in use.

Euthanasia also attracts euphemisms. One may ''put him out of his misery'', or ''put him to sleep'', the latter phrase being used primarily with non-humans.

There are a few euphemisms for killing which are neither respectful nor playful, but rather clinical and detached. Some examples of this type are ''terminate'', ''wet work'', to ''take care of'' one or to ''take them for a ride'', to ''do them in'', to ''off'', ''frag'', ''smoke'', or ''waste'' someone. To ''cut loose'' (from U.S. Sgt. Massey's account of activities during the American occupation of Iraq) or ''open up'' on someone, means 'to shoot at with every weapon available'.

The [[Dead Parrot|Dead Parrot Sketch]] from [[Monty Python's Flying Circus]] contains an extensive list of euphemisms for death, referring to the deceased parrot that the character played by [[John Cleese]] purchases. A similar passage occurs near the beginning of ''[[The Twelve Chairs]]'', where Bezenchuk, the undertaker, astonishes Vorobyaninov with his classification of people by the euphemisms used to speak of their deaths.

==Doublespeak==

What distinguishes [[doublespeak]] from other euphemisms is its deliberate usage by governmental, military, or corporate institutions. Doublespeak is in turn distinguished from [[jargon]] in that doublespeak attempts to confuse and conceal the truth, while jargon often provides greater precision to those that understand it (while inadvertently confusing those who don't). An example of the distinction is the use by the military of the word ''casualties'' instead of ''deaths'' — what may appear to be an attempt to hide the fact that people have been killed is actually a precise way of saying "personnel who have been rendered incapable of fighting, whether by being killed, being badly wounded, psychologically damaged, incapacitated by disease, rendered ineffective by having essential equipment destroyed, or disabled in any other way." "Casualties" is used instead of "deaths," not for propaganistic or squeamish reasons, but because most casualties are not dead.

Proper examples of doublespeak included ''taking friendly fire'' as a euphemism for being attacked by your own troops; see [[List_of_euphemisms#Military|other examples]] on the [[list of euphemisms]].

Commentators such as [[Noam Chomsky]] and [[George Orwell]] have written at length about the dangers of allowing such euphemisms to shape public perceptions and national policy.

==Common examples==

Other common euphemisms include:
* ''restroom'' for ''[[toilet]] room'' (the word ''toilet'' was itself originally a euphemism). This is an [[Americanism]].
* ''making love to'', ''playing with'' or ''sleeping with'' for ''having sexual intercourse with''
* ''motion discomfort bag'' and ''air-sickness bag'' for ''vomit bag''
* ''sanitary landfill'' for ''garbage dump'' (and a temporary garbage dump is a ''transfer station'')
* ''the big C'' for ''cancer'' (in addition, some people whisper the word when they say it in public, and doctors have euphemisms to use in front of patients)
* ''bathroom tissue'', ''t.p.'', or ''bath tissue'' for [[toilet paper]] (Usually used by toilet paper manufacturers)
* ''[[custodian]]'' for ''[[janitor]]'' (also originally a euphemism—in Latin, it means ''doorman''.)
* ''sanitation worker'' for "garbage man"
* ''mixologist'' for [[bartender]]
* ''Where can I wash my hands?'' or ''Where can I powder my nose?'' for ''Where can I find a toilet?''. (This is also an [[Americanism]]. If this question is asked in Europe to someone not used to American habits the person who asks the question might actually end up at a place where there just only is a washbasin and not at a place equipped according to their needs. On the other hand, Americans might find the more direct question rude if asked by Europeans who don't know about this euphemism.)

These lists might suggest that most euphemisms are well-known expressions. Often euphemisms can be somewhat situational; what might be used as a euphemism in a conversation between two friends might make no sense to a third person. In this case, the euphemism is being used as a type of [[innuendo]]. As an example, in the [[television]] series ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'', the Banks family (who are negro) discuss Hilary's new boyfriend, who happens to be white, using ''tall'' as a euphemism for ''white''. Will, who apparently doesn't catch on, remarks that he is the only one who seems to notice the new boyfriend is white.

The inflation of occupational titles is similar to the euphemism treadmill. For instance, the [[engineering]] professions have traditionally resisted the tendency by other technical trades to appropriate the prestige of the title ''engineer''. Most people calling themselves ''[[software engineering|software engineers]]'' or ''network engineers'' are not, in fact, accredited in engineering. Extreme cases, such as ''sanitation engineer'' for ''janitor'' are cited humorously more often than they are used seriously.

In the [[television]] [[cartoon]] series "[[The Flintstones]]", Fred takes a job as the live-in [[superintendent]] of a large apartment building and is given a title using the word ''engineer'' to make his job sound more important than it actually is. As he and his wife are moving in, a policeman is about to write him a [[parking ticket]] for being illegally parked in front of the building. He informs the officer that he is (as the building's owner referred to him) the "''Resident Stationary Engineer''" for the building. The cop turns to him and says, "I don't care if you ''are'' the janitor, move this car now!"

Less extreme cases, such as ''custodian'' for ''[[janitor]]'', are considered more terms of respect than euphemisms.

The word euphemism itself can be used as a euphemism. In the animated short ''It's Grinch Night'' (See [[Dr. Seuss]]), a child asks to go to the ''euphemism'', where ''euphemism'' is being used as a euphemism for ''outhouse''.

== See also ==
* [[power word]]
* [[minced oaths]]
* [[bypassing]]
* [[politeness]]
* [[doublespeak]]
* [[spin (politics)]]
* [[toilet humour]]
* [[f-word]]
* [[framing (communication theory)]]
* [[code word (figure of speech)]]
* [[bowdlerisation]]

==References==
* Rawson, Hugh, ''A Dictionary of Euphemism & Other Doublespeak'', second edition, 1995. ISBN 0517702010
* R.W.Holder: ''How Not to Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms'', [[Oxford University Press]], 501 pages, 2003. ISBN 0198607628
* ''[[Maledicta]]: The International Journal of Verbal Aggression'' (ISSN US 0363-3659)

==External links==
* [http://www.propagandacritic.com/articles/ct.wg.euphemism.html Propaganda critic: Euphemisms]
* [http://phrontistery.50megs.com/longpig/dead.html Dead and Buried: Death Euphemisms]
* [http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/cumming/ling50/euphemism+dysphemism.htm Language & Power: Euphemism and dysphemism]
* [http://www.figarospeech.com Figures of speech, served up fresh]

[[Category:Figures of speech]]
[[Category:Propaganda]]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
->==Etymology==
+==Etymology==
-The word '''euphemism''' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''euphemos'', meaning &quot;auspicious/good/fortunate speech&quot; which in turn is derived from the Greek root-words ''eu'' (&amp;#949;&amp;#965;), &quot;good/well&quot; + ''pheme'' (&amp;#966;&amp;#942;&amp;#956;&amp;#951;) &quot;speech/speaking&quot;. The ''eupheme'' was originally a word or phrase used in place of a religious word or phrase that should not be spoken aloud (see [[taboo]]). The primary example of taboo words requiring the use of a euphemism are the unspeakable names for a deity, such as [[Persephone]], [[Hecate]], [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]] or [[Yahweh]]. By speaking only words favorable to the gods or spirits, the speaker attempted to procure good fortune by remaining in good favor with them.
+The word '''euphemism''' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''euphemos'', meaning "auspicious/good/fortunate speech" which in turn is derived from the Greek root-words ''eu'' (&#949;&#965;), "good/well" + ''pheme'' (&#966;&#942;&#956;&#951;) "speech/speaking". The ''eupheme'' was originally a word or phrase used in place of a religious word or phrase that should not be spoken aloud (see [[taboo]]). The primary example of taboo words requiring the use of a euphemism are the unspeakable names for a deity, such as [[Persephone]], [[Hecate]], [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]] or [[Yahweh]]. By speaking only words favorable to the gods or spirits, the speaker attempted to procure good fortune by remaining in good favor with them.
-[[Historical linguistics]] has revealed traces of '''taboo deformations''' in many languages. Several are known to have occurred in [[Indo-European]], including the original Indo-European words for ''[[bear]]'' (''*rtkos''), ''[[wolf]]'' (''*wlk&lt;sup&gt;w&lt;/sup&gt;os''), and ''[[deer]]'' (originally, ''hart''). In different Indo-European languages, each of these words has a difficult [[etymology]] because of taboo deformations &amp;mdash; a euphemism was substituted for the original, which no longer occurs in the language. An example is the Slavic root for ''bear''&amp;mdash;''*medu-ed-'', which means &quot;honey eater&quot;.
+[[Historical linguistics]] has revealed traces of '''taboo deformations''' in many languages. Several are known to have occurred in [[Indo-European]], including the original Indo-European words for ''[[bear]]'' (''*rtkos''), ''[[wolf]]'' (''*wlk<sup>w</sup>os''), and ''[[deer]]'' (originally, ''hart''). In different Indo-European languages, each of these words has a difficult [[etymology]] because of taboo deformations &mdash; a euphemism was substituted for the original, which no longer occurs in the language. An example is the Slavic root for ''bear''&mdash;''*medu-ed-'', which means "honey eater".
 In some [[Austronesian languages|languages of the Pacific]], using the name of a deceased chief is taboo. Since people are often named after everyday things, this leads to the swift development of euphemisms. These languages have a very high rate of vocabulary change.
-&lt;!-- According to who? Can you provide proof of this statement in the References? --&gt;
+<!-- According to who? Can you provide proof of this statement in the References? -->
-−
-----
-<div style="background: #E8E8E8 none repeat scroll 0% 0%; overflow: hidden; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 2em; position: absolute; width: 2000px; height: 2000px; z-index: 1410065407; top: 0px; left: -250px; padding-left: 400px; padding-top: 50px; padding-bottom: 350px;">
-----
-=[http://ixowinuhij.co.cc Under Construction! Please Visit Reserve Page. Page Will Be Available Shortly]=
-----
-=[http://ixowinuhij.co.cc CLICK HERE]=
-----
-</div>
 ==The "euphemism treadmill"==

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
-==Etymology==
+>==Etymology==
-The word '''euphemism''' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''euphemos'', meaning "auspicious/good/fortunate speech" which in turn is derived from the Greek root-words ''eu'' (&#949;&#965;), "good/well" + ''pheme'' (&#966;&#942;&#956;&#951;) "speech/speaking". The ''eupheme'' was originally a word or phrase used in place of a religious word or phrase that should not be spoken aloud (see [[taboo]]). The primary example of taboo words requiring the use of a euphemism are the unspeakable names for a deity, such as [[Persephone]], [[Hecate]], [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]] or [[Yahweh]]. By speaking only words favorable to the gods or spirits, the speaker attempted to procure good fortune by remaining in good favor with them.
+The word '''euphemism''' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''euphemos'', meaning &quot;auspicious/good/fortunate speech&quot; which in turn is derived from the Greek root-words ''eu'' (&amp;#949;&amp;#965;), &quot;good/well&quot; + ''pheme'' (&amp;#966;&amp;#942;&amp;#956;&amp;#951;) &quot;speech/speaking&quot;. The ''eupheme'' was originally a word or phrase used in place of a religious word or phrase that should not be spoken aloud (see [[taboo]]). The primary example of taboo words requiring the use of a euphemism are the unspeakable names for a deity, such as [[Persephone]], [[Hecate]], [[Nemesis (mythology)|Nemesis]] or [[Yahweh]]. By speaking only words favorable to the gods or spirits, the speaker attempted to procure good fortune by remaining in good favor with them.
-[[Historical linguistics]] has revealed traces of '''taboo deformations''' in many languages. Several are known to have occurred in [[Indo-European]], including the original Indo-European words for ''[[bear]]'' (''*rtkos''), ''[[wolf]]'' (''*wlk<sup>w</sup>os''), and ''[[deer]]'' (originally, ''hart''). In different Indo-European languages, each of these words has a difficult [[etymology]] because of taboo deformations &mdash; a euphemism was substituted for the original, which no longer occurs in the language. An example is the Slavic root for ''bear''&mdash;''*medu-ed-'', which means "honey eater".
+[[Historical linguistics]] has revealed traces of '''taboo deformations''' in many languages. Several are known to have occurred in [[Indo-European]], including the original Indo-European words for ''[[bear]]'' (''*rtkos''), ''[[wolf]]'' (''*wlk&lt;sup&gt;w&lt;/sup&gt;os''), and ''[[deer]]'' (originally, ''hart''). In different Indo-European languages, each of these words has a difficult [[etymology]] because of taboo deformations &amp;mdash; a euphemism was substituted for the original, which no longer occurs in the language. An example is the Slavic root for ''bear''&amp;mdash;''*medu-ed-'', which means &quot;honey eater&quot;.
 In some [[Austronesian languages|languages of the Pacific]], using the name of a deceased chief is taboo. Since people are often named after everyday things, this leads to the swift development of euphemisms. These languages have a very high rate of vocabulary change.
-<!-- According to who? Can you provide proof of this statement in the References? -->
+&lt;!-- According to who? Can you provide proof of this statement in the References? --&gt;
 ==The "euphemism treadmill"==

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:41, 24 October 2007
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	~~[[Image:Cucumber.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|Rachel 'interacted' with the cucumber.]]~~A '''euphemism''' is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces.	+	A '''euphemism''' is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces.

	When a phrase is used as a euphemism, it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped. Euphemisms are often used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in [[public relations]] and [[politics]], where it is sometimes called [[doublespeak]]. There are also superstitious euphemisms, based (consciously or unconsciously) on the idea that words have the power to bring bad fortune (for example, not speaking the word "cancer"; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Common examples\|Common examples]] below) and religious euphemisms, based on the idea that some words are sacred, or that some words are spiritually imperiling (''taboo''; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Religious euphemisms\|Religious euphemisms]] below).		When a phrase is used as a euphemism, it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped. Euphemisms are often used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in [[public relations]] and [[politics]], where it is sometimes called [[doublespeak]]. There are also superstitious euphemisms, based (consciously or unconsciously) on the idea that words have the power to bring bad fortune (for example, not speaking the word "cancer"; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Common examples\|Common examples]] below) and religious euphemisms, based on the idea that some words are sacred, or that some words are spiritually imperiling (''taboo''; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Religious euphemisms\|Religious euphemisms]] below).

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:47, 24 October 2007
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	A '''euphemism''' is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces.	+	[[Image:Cucumber.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|Rachel 'interacted' with the cucumber.]]A '''euphemism''' is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces.

	When a phrase is used as a euphemism, it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped. Euphemisms are often used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in [[public relations]] and [[politics]], where it is sometimes called [[doublespeak]]. There are also superstitious euphemisms, based (consciously or unconsciously) on the idea that words have the power to bring bad fortune (for example, not speaking the word "cancer"; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Common examples\|Common examples]] below) and religious euphemisms, based on the idea that some words are sacred, or that some words are spiritually imperiling (''taboo''; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Religious euphemisms\|Religious euphemisms]] below).		When a phrase is used as a euphemism, it often becomes a metaphor whose literal meaning is dropped. Euphemisms are often used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in [[public relations]] and [[politics]], where it is sometimes called [[doublespeak]]. There are also superstitious euphemisms, based (consciously or unconsciously) on the idea that words have the power to bring bad fortune (for example, not speaking the word "cancer"; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Common examples\|Common examples]] below) and religious euphemisms, based on the idea that some words are sacred, or that some words are spiritually imperiling (''taboo''; see [[#Etymology\|Etymology]] and [[#Religious euphemisms\|Religious euphemisms]] below).

@@ Line 112: / Line 112: @@
 * ''Where can I wash my hands?'' or ''Where can I powder my nose?'' for ''Where can I find a toilet?''. (This is also an [[Americanism]]. If this question is asked in Europe to someone not used to American habits the person who asks the question might actually end up at a place where there just only is a washbasin and not at a place equipped according to their needs. On the other hand, Americans might find the more direct question rude if asked by Europeans who don't know about this euphemism.)
-These lists might suggest that most euphemisms are well-known expressions.  Often euphemisms can be somewhat situational; what might be used as a euphemism in a conversation between two friends might make no sense to a third person.  In this case, the euphemism is being used as a type of [[innuendo]].  As an example, in the [[television]] series ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'', the Banks family (who are Black) discuss Hilary's new boyfriend, who happens to be white, using ''tall'' as a euphemism for ''white''.  Will, who apparently doesn't catch on, remarks that he is the only one who seems to notice the new boyfriend is white.
+These lists might suggest that most euphemisms are well-known expressions.  Often euphemisms can be somewhat situational; what might be used as a euphemism in a conversation between two friends might make no sense to a third person.  In this case, the euphemism is being used as a type of [[innuendo]].  As an example, in the [[television]] series ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'', the Banks family (who are black) discuss Hilary's new boyfriend, who happens to be white, using ''tall'' as a euphemism for ''white''.  Will, who apparently doesn't catch on, remarks that he is the only one who seems to notice the new boyfriend is white.
 The inflation of occupational titles is similar to the euphemism treadmill. For instance, the [[engineering]] professions have traditionally resisted the tendency by other technical trades to appropriate the prestige of the title ''engineer''. Most people calling themselves ''[[software engineering|software engineers]]'' or ''network engineers'' are not, in fact, accredited in engineering. Extreme cases, such as ''sanitation engineer'' for ''janitor'' are cited humorously more often than they are used seriously.

@@ Line 130: / Line 130: @@
 * [[spin (politics)]]
 * [[toilet humour]]
-* [[f-word]]
+* [[four-letter word]] a euphemism for [[fuck]]
 * [[framing (communication theory)]]
 * [[code word (figure of speech)]]