Noile tabuuri ale societăţii occidentale şi substituirea lor prin eufemisme [Articol]

Abstract

There are things which are believed to be inappropriate in every society if uttered in public. A large number of words are therefore considered silly, vulgar or obscene when used in communication. These words are called “taboos”. This paper investigates all the major varieties of taboos (bodily excretions, death and disease, sex, four-letter words, privacy and discriminatory language), which are respectively defined and provided with concrete examples. From the Freudian standpoint, obviously, the existence of euphemisms, mainly caused by taboos and social control, is the linguistic outcome of the controlling nature of the superego. Therefore, euphemisms are great linguistic mirrors reflecting societies from various perspectives: prudery, decency, conformity, fear, respect and grief. This study also includes the most common formations of euphemisms and their change in meaning which might occur in time.