Use of Euphemism

And yet at the same time, we are given several sets of contradictory instructions in our formative years, including the prescription that we should not hurt other people's feelings if that be possible and that we should not swear or use dirty words. It is often in an attempt to reconcile these differing sets of instructions that people employ euphemisms.

The etymology of the word euphemism is a relatively straightforward one, coming to the modern English speaker from the Greek words for goodness and speech: A euphemism is simply the act of speaking in a good or pleasing way. This is a perfectly apt description for the group of words and phrases that probably comes first to mind when thinking of the term euphemism  those words that apply to various functions of the human body. There is a whole series of euphemisms that apply to such functions and that are designed to sound good (Oxford English Dictionary: Compact Edition).

To take one example of these, one can look at the various terms for the process of urination  a process that most people have been told not to discuss in public by the time that they themselves are out of diapers. The reasons for t

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act. One could not ask for a more perfect example of how euphemisms function. And yet, what other choice do people have in talking about sex? If one is to avoid both clinical and vulgar terms, one is left only with euphemism, a fact that would seem to have unfortunate consequences for all of us in that it transforms normal, pleasurable behavior into something dirty  something that can only be discussed in round-about ways. We can talk about the pleasures of eating in a very open, straightforward way; the fact that we have no analogous vocabulary for sex is telling. Other sets of euphemisms spring up around areas of behavior that are linked to disability that make us uncomfortable; for example, the words applied to people with obvious mental or psychological problems. It is also interesting to note here that euphemisms of this type change over time. This is perhaps because the primary purpose of such euphemisms is to provide psychological distance between "normal" people and those who are different, and as a euphemism becomes more and more familiar it ceases to be able to provide that sort of distancing and so must be replaced. The result is that we rarely anymore call people "lunatics" (or even the diminutive "loony") n
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Kett Trefil, Indian Indians, , Caucasians American, Compact Edition, Native Americans, trefil 1988, University February, English Dictionary, euphemistic terms, bodily functions, hirsch kett, glazer 1996, kett trefil, physical disability, kett trefil 1988, hirsch kett trefil, Hirsch Kett, JF Trefil, oxford english dictionary, american society, oxford english, physical disabilities,
Approximate Word count = 2669
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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