Бегимкулова А. С., Ахметова А.Е.

Региональный социально – инновационный университет

The concept of euphemism

This section of the thesis is devoted to a critical review of different points of view on the concept of "euphemism" in English and the identification of characteristic features of the euphemism. Even in antiquity, euphemisms were the object of study. For example: "The ancient Greeks prohibited the implacable Furies by calling them Eumenides -" the good-tempered ones", as they feared invoking them by their right name, Erinyes. Euphemism recognizes the magical and dangerous features of words. Some problems are too vulnerable to be discussed without safeguards. "[1]. Certain requirements were put to the use of euphemisms: correctness, uniqueness, euphony, relevance, etc. The term comes from the Greek "eu" - "good", "pheme" - "rumor, speech." Originally he was interpreted as saying "words that have a good omen, abstinence from words that have a bad omen [2].

The problem of euphemia attracts the attention of researchers and now both foreign and domestic. As a result, a considerable amount of data on the concept studied has accumulated. Especially in the last two decades, interest in studying the phenomenon of euphemia has increased markedly, as evidenced by the theses defended in recent years, published articles, monographs. For example, a large number of works were devoted to the methods of formation of euphemisms in the language and their use, contextual features of euphemisms, functional features [3]. Semantic methods of euphemistic substitution and types of semantic relations were studied by E.E. Tyurina and L.V.Artyushkina. The pragmatic aspect of euphemia was considered in detail by N.T. Boschaeva.

Euphemisms were studied in terms of their stylistic characteristics, in terms of a secondary nomination.

However, at the present time there are various controversial opinions about the phenomenon of euphemism, one of which is the very concept of euphemism. I.R. Galperin believes that the main function of the euphemism is the softening of a rough word or expression. For example: "Euphemism is a word or phrase used to replace an unpleasant word or an expression by a conventionally more acceptable one ..." [3: 406].

However, there is another group of linguists who note that social motives are especially important when using euphemisms [4]. For example, E. Uvarova writes: "By euphemia, we mean the speech strategy of creating communicative comfort in an interlocutor, overcoming the danger of communicative failure, achieving the goal of communication by optimizing the impact ..." [3].

Along with the above views, there is a definition in which all functions of euphemisms emphasize the function of concealing reality. For example: "euphemia is the use of an unpleasant or pleasant term instead of direct, offensive, while masking the truth" . Thus, in general, the euphemism is a substitute for a rude word that is unacceptable for one reason or another, or a word or expression of a soft, veiled connotation.

Another not fully resolved issue of the concept of euphemia is the motives for their appearance. O.V. Obvintseva in her dissertation "Euphemism in Political Communication ..." writes that the motives for euphemization are the reasons for replacing some words and expressions with others [2:21]. Linguists classify them in different ways. For example, linguists such as J. Lawrence, E. Pattridge, R.A. Spears sing out a huge number of groups of motifs, but on the contrary, linguists like Katsev, C. Kany, J. Neaman, C. Silver divide the entire set of motifs into a 2- 3 groups.

The most complete classification, we think, is provided by I. Patridge. He outlines the following motives for euphemism [1]:

1) Desire to adapt to the corresponding general mood, general atmosphere, time, place, company;

2) The desire to increase the value of what you have. For example, use the word "professor" instead of "teacher" or "university" instead of "technical school";

3) Desire to show respect to the person to whom you address, make an impression, do not offend the interlocutor. For example, "colored man" instead of "Negro".

4) The need to minimize, soften a painful memory or tragic news.

5) The existence of social and moral taboos.

6) Existence of religious superstitions and taboos.

This classification of euphemism motifs shows that in the euphemism phenomenon four aspects are distinguished: social, moral-ethical, religious and communicative. All the words-taboo replaced by euphemisms are arranged within these aspects.

Literature:

1. Pattridge E. Slang Today and Yesterday: With a Short Historical Sketch and Vocabularies of English, American and Australian Slang, London, 1979

2. Обвинцева О.В. Эвфемизм в политической коммуникации. На материале английского языка в сопоставлении с русским: Автореф. дис. …канд. филол . наук. – М., 2003. – 21с.

3. Гальперин И.Р. Текст как объект лингвистического исследования. – М.: Наука, 1981. – 139с.

4. Крысин, Л.П. Эвфемизмы в современной русской речи Текст., / Л.П. Крысин // Русистика. Берлин, 1994. - № 1-2. - С. 28-49.
Видлак, С. Проблема эвфемизма на фоне теории языкового поля Текст./С. Видлак // Этимология: материалы и исследования5 по индоевропейским и другим языкам. М., 1967. - С. 267-285.