Formation Euphemism

1 formation

1.1 phonetic modification
1.2 figures of speech
1.3 rhetoric
1.4 slang
1.5 words foreign language
1.6 evolution

formation
phonetic modification

phonetic euphemism used replace profanities, giving them intensity of mere interjection.

shortening or clipping term ( jeez jesus, the— hell )
mispronunciations, such frak , frig fudge , truck , oh gosh , frickin , darn , oh, shoot , be-yotch , etc.
using first letter ( sob , eff , s d , bs ). sometimes, word word added after ( f word , s word , b word , n word ). also, letter can phonetically respelled, example, word piss shortened pee (pronounced letter p) in way.

figures of speech

ambiguous statements (it excrement, situation or girl in trouble pregnancy, going other side death, or come in reference sexual act, tired , emotional drunkenness)
understatements ( asleep dead , drinking consuming alcohol , hurt injured , etc.)
metaphors ( beat meat or choke chicken masturbation, take dump , take leak defecation , urination respectively)
comparisons ( buns buttocks , weed cannabis )
metonymy ( lose person coping person s death , pass away die , men s room men s toilet )

rhetoric

euphemism may used rhetorical strategy, in case goal change valence of description positive negative.

slang

using less harsh term similar meaning. instance, screwed euphemism hook-up , hooked , or laid sexual intercourse.

there disagreement on whether terms or not euphemisms. example, phrase visually impaired labeled politically correct euphemism blind. however, visual impairment can broader term, including, example, people have partial sight in 1 eye, uncorrectable mild moderate poor vision, or wear glasses, group excluded word blind.

words foreign language

expressions or words foreign language may imported use replacement offensive word. example, french word enceinte used instead of english word pregnant . practice of word substitution became frequent expression pardon french adopted in attempts excuse use of profanity.

evolution

euphemisms may formed in number of ways. periphrasis, or circumlocution, 1 of common: speak around given word, implying without saying it. on time, circumlocutions become recognized established euphemisms particular words or ideas.

to alter pronunciation or spelling of taboo word (such swear word) form euphemism known taboo deformation, or minced oath . in american english, words unacceptable on television such fuck, may represented deformations such freak, in children s cartoons. examples of rhyming slang may serve same purpose: call person berk sounds less offensive call person cunt, though berk short berkeley hunt, rhymes cunt.

bureaucracies spawn euphemisms of more deliberate nature, doublespeak expressions. example, in past military used term sunshine units contamination radioactive isotopes. effective death sentence in soviet union during great purge used clause imprisonment without right correspondence : person sentenced never had chance correspond anyone, because after imprisonment shot. 1939, nazi official reinhard heydrich used term sonderbehandlung ( special treatment ) mean summary execution (most hanging) of persons viewed disciplinary problems nazis before commencing systematic extermination of jews. heinrich himmler, aware word had come known mean murder, replaced euphemism 1 in jews guided (to deaths) through slave-labor , extermination camps after having been evacuated doom. such part of superficially innocuous formulation endlösung der judenfrage (the final solution jewish question ), became infamous entire world during nuremberg trials.

a euphemism may devolve taboo word, through linguistic process known pejoration or semantic change described w.v.o. quine, , more dubbed euphemism treadmill harvard professor steven pinker. instance, toilet 18th-century euphemism, replacing older euphemism house-of-office, in turn replaced older euphemisms privy-house or bog-house. in 20th century, words lavatory or toilet deemed inappropriate (e.g. in united states), replaced bathroom or water closet, in turn became restroom, w.c., or washroom.

the word shit appears have been euphemism defecation in pre-germanic, proto-indo-european root *skined-, derived, meant cut off.