Taboo and Euphemism 禁忌语和委婉语

Taboo&Euphemism1.Taboo2.Euphemism3.Howtabooandeuphemismrelatedanddifferent4.ConclusionContents1.Taboo1.1Definitionoftaboo1.2Etymologyoftaboo1.3Evolutionoftaboo1.4Aspectstaboorelated1.1Definitionoftaboo•Atabooagainstasubjectoractivityisasocialcustomtoavoiddoingthatactivityortalkingaboutthatsubject,becausepeoplefindthemembarrassingoroffensive.禁忌(CollinsCobuild)1.1Definitionoftaboo(Amongsomepeoples)Sth.whichreligionorcustomregardsasforbidden,nottobetouched,orspokenof.(OxfordAdvancedLearner’sDictionary)1.1DefinitionoftabooSigmundFreudpointedoutinhisclassicalworkTotemandTaboothattaboocontainedtwooppositemeanings:ononehand,itwaslofty,sacred;ontheotherhand,itwasmysterious,dangerous,prohibitiveandunclean.1.1Definitionoftaboo•Toconclude:Atabooisavehement(strong)prohibitionofanactionbasedonthebeliefthatsuchbehavioriseithertoosacredortooaccursedforordinaryindividualstoundertake,underthreatofsupernaturalpunishment.1.2EtymologyoftabooThetermtabooisoriginatedfromPolynesian(insouthPacific)Tongalanguage.In1777,CaptainJamesCookarrivedinsouthPacificPolynesianTonga.InTonga,hefoundastrangebehaviorintheirdailylife.Thereweremanythingsforbiddentodo,manyfoodsforbiddentoeat,andsomewordsnotallowedtosay.ThelocallanguageofTongacalledthisphenomenonTabooorTabu.1.2EtymologyoftabooThenCookborrowedthewordintoEnglish.ThewordinEnglishreferstoactsthatareforbiddenortobeavoided.Whenanactistaboo,referencetothisactmayalsobecometaboo.Thatis,firstyouareforbiddentodosomething,andthenyouareforbiddentotalkaboutit.1.3EvolutionoftabooAsitismentionedabove,tabooisnotonlyalinguisticphenomenon,butalsoakindofsocialphenomenon.Itisinfluencedbythedevelopmentofsociety.1.3Evolutionoftaboo•Intheprimitivesociety,peopledidn’tgettoknowaboutnature.Theywereconfusedaboutthenaturalphenomenon,suchaslightning,thunder,storm,earthquakes,etc.Sotheybelievedinthenaturalpowersandbecamesuperstitious.Theythoughtonlyinthiswaycouldtheysurvivethehardenvironments,therefore,theymustrespectnatureandmightygodwhentheyuselanguage.1.3EvolutionoftabooIntheMedievalperiod,manycountriesweredividedintomanygroupsofdifferentsocialstatusaccordingtoinnumerablereligiousrules.Peoplecouldn’tdoandgetwhattheywantto.Itisthedarkenedage.Peopleinthattimeshouldshowrespectforthedecadentrulesandreligions.Sotherearemanytaboosduringtheperiod.1.3EvolutionoftabooForinstance,thereligionlistedthebuttock,jaw,andforeheadasthelinguistictaboos.Manytaboosarepreservedastheformofthefeudalcodeofethics,forexample,inordertoshowtheroyal’sauthorityandmajesty,thenameoftheemperorandhisancestorsshouldnotbementioned.Tabooshaveturnedintopurecommandmentwithoutashadeofsuperstition.3.EvolutionoftabooInmodernsociety,withtherapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,thescopeoftheconceptoftaboohasbeenwidened.Mostpeoplearebecomingmoreandmorerational,andtheyneverbelieveinorrelyonthesuperstitions.Thereforethesuperstitiouselementsinlinguistictaboosdecreaseandthosereflectingspiritualcivilizationincrease.1.4Aspectstoboorelated1.4.1Taboosonreligion1.4.2Taboosonsex1.4.3Taboosondiseasesordeath1.4.4Taboosonageandweight1.4.5Taboosonnumbers1.4.1TaboosonreligionGodisreplacedbyGoodness,goodgracious,Satanbytheevilman,1.4.2Taboosonsex“Piss”,“fuck”,“tit”,“cock”etc.commonly,thesewordsarecalledfour-letterword.1.4.3Taboosondiseasesordeathill—Iamnotfeelingwellcancer—longillnessdie—passaway1.4.4TaboosonageandweightHowmuchdoyouearn?”“Youmakealotofmoney,don’tyou?”“Howmuchdidthatpairofshoescostyou?”“Howmuchdoyouweigh?”2.Euphemism2.1Definitionofeuphemism2.2Etymology2.3FunctionsofEnglisheuphemism2.1DefinitionofeuphemismAeuphemismisapolitewordorexpressionthatisusedtorefertothingsthatpeoplemayfindupsettingorembarrassingtotalkabout,forexamplesex,thehumanbody,ordeath.(CollinsCobuild)2.1DefinitionofeuphemismEuphemismistheuseofothermild,vague,andindirectwordsorphrasesinplaceofwhatisrequiredbytruthoraccuracy.(OxfordAdvancedLearner’sDictionary)2.1DefinitionofeuphemismToconclude:Aeuphemismisagenerallyinnocuouswordorexpressionusedinplaceofonethatmaybefoundoffensiveorsuggestsomethingunpleasant.2.2EtymologyofeuphemismThewordeuphemismcomesfromtheGreekwordευφημία(euphemia),meaningtheuseofwordsofgoodomen.InGreek,eu(good/well)+pheme(speech/speaking),meansglory,flatteringspeech,praise.Etymologically,thetermeuphemismitselfwasusedasaeuphemismbytheancientGreeks,meaningtokeepaholysilence(speakingwellbynotspeakingatall).2.3FunctionsofEnglisheuphemism2.3.1Thefunctionofavoidingtaboo2.3.2Thefunctionofbeingpolite2.3.3Thefunctionofdisguising2.3.4Thefunctionofbeinghumorousandironic2.3.5Thefunctionofbeingmodest2.3.1ThefunctionofavoidingtabooSomeEnglisheuphemismsareassociatedwithtaboo.Tabooexistsineverylanguage.Euphemismscanbeusedassubstitutesinordertoavoidembarrassment,anxietyandpublicshamecausedbytaboowords.Forexample,GodisreplacedbyGoodness,goodgracious,Satanbytheevilman,anddiebypassaway.2.3.2ThefunctionofbeingpoliteIndailycommunication,politenessisregardedasanessentialelementthatspeakersmustpayattentionto.Tobespecific,nativeEnglishspeakerstendtouseeuphemismsinordertoshowtheirpoliteness.Forexampl