Euphemisms in the ecological discourse of the modern English language
Basinskaya Maria Vladimirovna
Diplomatic Academy of the MFA of Russia
Submitted: 08.02.2023
Abstract. The paper addresses euphemization using the example of ecological euphemisms in the modern English language. The aim of the research is to discover the pragmatic and extra-linguistic reasons for the appearance as well as the functioning peculiarities of euphemisms in the ecological discourse of the English language. The scientific novelty of the research is determined by an attempt to describe the cognitive mechanisms underlying the formation of ecological euphemisms in the modern English language. The paper touches upon theoretical issues connected with euphemisms, such as the definition of the notion of “euphemism”, as well as the function of euphemistic word combinations as cultural signs of a language community. In order to describe cognitive mechanisms employed to form the semantics of ecological euphemisms, the notion of lexico-semantic de-/focusing is introduced. As a result, it has been shown that in the discourse under investigation, euphemisms perform heterogeneous functions: the function of veiling aimed at concealing human-induced negative impact on the environment, as well as removing responsibility for its consequences, as opposed to the function of forming ecocentric consciousness of the native speakers.
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