Абакова Т.Н.

Балаковский филиал ГОУ ВПО "Саратовская государственная академия права", Российская Федерация

The psychological aspect of studying euphemisms & dysphemisms.

Introduction euphemisms and dysphemisms is better to do with the defining terms "euphemism" and "dysphemism". "A euphemism is used as an alternative to a dispreferred expression, in order to avoid possible loss of face: either one's own face or, through giving offence, that of the audience, or some third party"[1]. Euphemism is a word or an expression that people use instead of indecent, indelicate, rude, too direct or impolite words and expressions. The opposite sides of euphemisms are taboo words and dysphemisms. "A dysphemism is an expression with connotations that are offensive either about the denotatum or to the audience, or both, and it is substituted for a neutral or euphemistics expression for just that reason"[2]. It is important to say that euphemisms are opposed with taboo words because of cause and effect relations. Dysphemisms are opposed with euphemisms because of the evaluation content basis[3]. The function of dysphemisms is to aggravate a denotatum with any evaluation content at the expense of more negative one.

A dysphemism is a word or an expression that is generally used to offend somebody deliberately. It paints a negative picture without seemingly lying. For example the phrase "My boss is something else" doesn't carry something swearing bit it is slanted towards negativity.

What is actually considered to be euphemistic and what is considered to be dysphemistic depends on the speaker and the way he or she interprets the message. At the same time a euphemism may loose its ennobling characteristics and turn into a dysphemism and it is required to be replaced. For example, the word "black" was a euphemism for the word with a negative connotation "negro". But the frequent using the word "black" as a euphemism had deleted its meaning and has transferred the word "black" to the category of the direct names.

The psychological aspect pays attention to "straight to the generating motives"[4].

In lexicology the studying of euphemisms and dysphemisms from the psychological point of view is well-done. At present according to the generating motives there are five groups of euphemisms that have appeared because of: 1) superstition, 2) the feeling of fear, 3) sympathy and compassion, 4) the feeling of shame and, 5) the feeling of politeness.

To V. I. Zabotkina's opinion some pragmatic reasons are the base of the generating motives. At first, it is a politeness, which has defined the creation of euphemisms for physical and mental defects. Secondly, taboo words, when euphemisms were used instead of direct names of diseases and deaths. Thirdly, it's the influence the general readers. Fourthly, it's restricness, which has influenced the creation of euphemisms within the different social illegal groups[5].

According to А. M. Kacev's classification of generating motives there are three emotional spheres: fear, odium and shame[6].

Linguists say these or those emotions are generating motives for the creation both euphemisms and dysphemisms[7]. And perhaps the development of nominations with pejorative evaluation content was the base of making dysphemisms.

At present this kind of words gets into high level of vocabulary. Using words with negative meaning and invectives the speaker feels the magic influence that he or she is everything allowed. The domination of such words is a natural thing because people perceive negative sides of life more violent than positive ones. The latter is regarded as normal and that is why they are less emotive. Of course it is easier to hold somebody up to shame than to praise somebody to the skies[8].

The general classification of euphemisms and dysphemisms from the psychological point of view can be represented in a table.

Generating motives		Examples euphemisms dysphemisms
Feeling of politeness or impoliteness	Mental defects	barmy, dense, soft, queer, leather-head, to go off one’s mind, to be off one's loop, to be off one's rocker;	dork, dumb-ass, dullard, to have bats in one's belfry;
	Physical defects	disable, handicapped, aurally challenged, aurally handicapped, physically challenged, physically handicapped, mentally challenged, impaired hearing;	cripple, stupid;
	Age	senior, middlescence, third age, ageful (old), golden years, silver ager;
	Social inequality	Afro-American, Native Americans	Nigger Red Indian
Feeling of shame	Sex relations	affair, ballet, exploit;	fuck;
		skin flicks, adult movie, pill, to be in an interesting condition, sexual congress;
		accommodation house, assignation house , disorderly house;	drunkard, to dupe, to lick smb`s boots;
superstition		rite (sacrament) of reconciliation;
Feeling of fear	Death	to go west, to depart, to pass away, to draw one's last breath, to join the silent, to lose one's life, to join (great) majority, to go to meet one's maker, a leap in the dark;	to kiss the dust, to kick the bucket, to croak,
	Diseases	Growth, Big C
Sympathy & compassion	Poverty	shopping-bag lady, street person	beggar

Round off the stated above it is necessary to note that emotions are generating motives for making both euphemisms and dysphemisms.

List of books

1. Keith Allan, Kate Burridge. Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Used as Shield and Weapon. N. Y., 1991

2. O. Hey. Euphemismus und Verwandtes im Lateinischen.-Archiv fur Lateinische Lexicographie, XI., Leipzig, 1900.

3. Заботкина В. И. Новая лексика современного английского языка. М., 1984.

4. Кацев А. М. Эвфемизмы в современном английском языке. Автореф. дис. … канд. филол. наук. Л., 1977

5. Кацев А. М. Языковое табу и эвфемия. Л., 1988.

6. Ретунская М. С. Английская аксиологическая лексика. Н. Новгород, 1996

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[1] Keith Allan, Kate Burridge. Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Used as Shield and Weapon. N. Y., 1991, p. 11

[2] Keith Allan, Kate Burridge. Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Used as Shield and Weapon. N. Y., 1991, p. 26

[3] См: Кацев А. М. Языковое табу и эвфемия. Л., 1988.

[4] Кацев А. М. Эвфемизмы в современном английском языке. Автореф. дис. … канд. филол. наук. Л., 1977, с. 5.

[5] См: Заботкина В. И. Новая лексика современного английского языка. М., 1984.

[6] См: Кацев А. М. Эвфемизмы в современном английском языке. Автореф. дис. … канд. филол. наук. Л., 1977.

[7] O. Hey. Euphemismus und Verwandtes im Lateinischen.-Archiv fur Lateinische Lexicographie, XI., Leipzig, 1900.

[8] Ретунская М. С. Английская аксиологическая лексика. Н. Новгород, 1996, с. 272.