Abstract

Euphemism is universally used in people’s daily life as it is often considered to be a sort of“lubricating oil”in language communication. As a result, it can establish the harmonious social relationships. With the great development of human civilization, it has played an essential role in people’s daily interactions. This paper starts with the achievements that have been obtained on research, reviewing the definition of euphemism, tracing the origin of euphemism and its main constitutive principles. Then, it focuses on the application scopes of euphemism and its pragmatic implication. On this basis, a further analysis of its cultural connotation is presented. 

Key words : euphemism; pragmatic implication; cultural connotation

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Ⅰ.Introduction1

Ⅱ. Literature Review.2

2.1 The Definition of Euphemism2

2.2 The Constitutive Principles of Euphemism4

2.2.1 Distance Principle4

2.2.2 Relevance Principle.5

2.2.3 Sound Principle.5

Ⅲ. Application of Euphemism and Its Pragmatic Implication6

3.1 Euphemism about “Death”.6

3.2 Euphemism for Human’s Physiology.7

3.3 Euphemism for Some Social Professions and Problems8

3.4 Euphemism for Politics and Economy10 

Ⅳ. The Cultural Connotation of Euphemism11 

4.1 Religious Belief11

4.2 Social Mentality12

4.3 Standard of Conduct.13

Ⅴ. Conclusion.14

References16