Chinese Euphemism In Real Life

Chinese scholars as well as scholars in other countries have studied euphemism from different perspectives, such as rhetoric, semantic, pragmatic, and socio-psychological perspectives and encouraging results have been obtained. But up to now, nobody has researched on euphemism from a general cognitive, social, and cultural perspective. Euphemism is the result of the joint influence of a community's socio-psychology, culture and values upon the language, which they speak. Therefore, this thesis applies Verschueren's Adaptation Theory to interpreting the phenomenon of euphemism from a comprehensive perspective, at the same time tests whether this theory can account for it satisfactorily.To explain euphemisms in all languages in the world is unreasonable. As a result, Chinese euphemism in real life is chosen to be analyzed. Because of the adaptation to Chinese culture, euphemisms are employed. While in the process of making-choice of euphemism, the language user's mental world and social conventions have to be adapted to. At the same time, not all euphemisms, whether in production or interpretation, are employed equally consciously. And the change of euphemism should adapt to the...