Semantic features of euphemism (with special reference to political speech)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37536/linred.2023.XX.2368Keywords:
allusion, ambiguity, euphemism, implicatura, metaphor, metonymy, snarl-word, purr-word, vaguenessAbstract
This paper deals with the main semantic features that a given word (or sentence) has to fulfil in order to be felt by speakers as a euphemism, when the euphemism in question is based on a metaphor or a metonymy. I firstly start from the thesis that any euphemism can be considered as a case of allusion, since the forbidden words have to be previously known by speakers in order to identify euphemisms as such. Secondly, I analyse some relevant features that a given word has to fulfil in order to work as a euphemism, namely, ambiguity, vagueness, mutability, and irreplaceability. And eventually, I put into practice my previous reflections in analysing how this actually works in the case of the slogans used in a particular election campaign.
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