云南大学旅游文化学院本科生学年论文
    题  目：On Characteristics and Application of English Euphemism
专业班级：    07级英语专业（3）班   
      作者姓名：        xxxxx           
      作者学号：      20071200420         
      指导教师：        xxxxx、           
     
      撰文时间：    2010年8月20日      
Contents
Abstract    ⅰ
摘要    ⅱ
Introduction    1
1 The Origin and Definition of Euphemism    2
2 The Characteristics of English Euphemism    3
2.1 Universality    3
  2.2 Having Division of the Sentimental Color    3
  2.3 Having Life    4
2.4 Sociality    4
2.5 Re-symbolism    4
  2.6 Arbitrariness    5
  2.7 Accuracy    5
  2.8 Conventionality    5
3 The Application of English Euphemism in Daily Life    6
  3.1 In Occupation Application    6
3.1.1 To Raise the Professional Status    6
3.1.2 To Beautify Coarse, Grating Occupation    7
3.1.3 To Use the Analogy    7
  3.2 In Education Application    8
  3.3 In Politics and War Application    8
  3.4 In Disease Application    9
  3.5 In Age and Weight Application    10
  3.6 In Sex Application    11
  3.7 In Birth Application    11
Conclusion    13
Bibliography    14
 

[Abstract]：In every society there are certain things that are supposed to be unspeakable. A fair number of words make someone embarrassed、unhappy、dislike or fear when used in communication. If we express the meaning in the direct way, we will make such impression which is vulgar, frivolous, and impolite. In order to avoid the embarrassment or ease the sting of harsh words, man has created euphemisms. In western cultures, many of the fields that people tend to euphemize widely are not different from anywhere in the world. This paper introduces the origin and definition of euphemism, the characteristics of English euphemism and the application of English euphemism and the causes of using euphemism, with much weight attached to the latter three.
英语专业论文题目[Key Words]：English euphemism    taboo    context    characteristics    application       
[摘要]：在任何一个社会中，总有些不能直截了当说出来的话。在人们交际的过程中，有些词语使人尴尬，惹人不快，招人讨厌或令人害怕，如果直接表达出来会给人一种粗俗、轻浮、无礼的印象。因此在一些场合为了避免难堪，或减轻对人的感情伤害，人们创造了委婉语。在西方社会文化生活中，在很多领域，人们广泛地使用着委婉语，这和世界上多数地区是一样的。本文追溯了委婉语的历史渊源，界定了委婉语的概念，随后着重介绍了英语委婉语的特点及在各个领域的应用，并探讨了人们使用这些委婉语的原因。
[关键词]: 英语委婉语    禁忌语    语境    特点    应用

Introduction
Euphemism refers to mild, agreeable, or roundabout words used in place of coarse, painful, or offensive ones. Invention here being the mother of necessity, the need for euphemism arose. In every society, there are certain things that are not supposed to be speakable or mentioned directly. A fair number of words are labeled frivolous, vulgar, or at l
east inconsiderate. But in communication, for better maintaining social relationship and exchanging ideas, people have to resort to a kind of language, which can make distasteful ideas seem acceptable or even desirable. This type of language is defined as “euphemism” in linguistics and it comes in a variety of forms and is used for a variety of reasons. Unlike other figurative language devices, for example, the metaphor of poetry or prose, euphemism aims to surprise and entertain (Lee, 1966:125), strives to avoid offense by means of circumlocution. As a communicative skill---“feeling it like it is not (Time, 1978:164) euphemism abounds in our life.” Euphemisms are powerful linguistic devices which “are embedded so deeply in our language that few of us, even those on being plainspoken, ever get through a day without using them (Rawson, 1981:245).”
Much research has been done on euphemism because of its prominence in language. A lot of great works came into being during the study of euphemism, which lay a foundation for further research. In 1936, in his book The American Linguistic Meneken fully discussed why hundreds of euphemisms had been born and become popular on the basis of American history and social altered background. His book is a valuable legacy for euphemism study. I
n 1981, British linguist Hugh Rawson complied A Dictionary of Euphemism and other Double Talks which embodied the achievements of research on euphemism over the decades by many British and American linguists.
The euphemism is one phenomenon of language in human society, which is an important method of harmonizing the relationship between people. It is a figure of speech. English euphemism also becomes an inalienable part in topic of the Trans-Culture human relations.
1 The Origin and Definition of Euphemism
English euphemism has a long history, and many euphemism words come from The Bible .And in The Canterbury Tales written by Chaucer and plays and poems of Shakespeare, varities of euphemism words were applied. In Britain, the usage of euphemism could be traced back to 11th century. In that time, Genteel Vocabulary and Obscene Vocabulary were distinguished obviously. The former is just the precursor of euphemism. In the early 1580’s, English writer George Blunt first used word “euphemism”. It originates in Greek prefix “eu” which means “good, sounding well” and stem “pheme” which means “speech or
saying”. People applied it in order to avoid mentioning things considered to be taboo and specific unpleasantnesses which relate to such things as accidents, illness, death, sex, excretion, the phenomenon of physiology and natural conduct and so on directly and talk about them in an euphemismistic way. Since 1970’s linguistic euphemism has become popular again. And euphemism, as a language phenomenon now, is applied very frequently and widely. American scholar Hugh Rawson once said: “The euphemism submerges our language that none of us can get down one day without using it, even the same for who brags themselves the straight forward person.” Hence, giving it an accurate definition is quite necessary: