A Relevance-Adaptation Study On English Euphemism

Euphemisms are roundabout expressions, substituting indirect, vague, pleasant and mild words for more explicit and offensive ones, with the purpose of avoiding taboos, showing elegance or avoiding hurting other people's feelings. Euphemism is a common phenomenon, a linguistic and a social one. To speak euphemistically is a universal trait (Enright, 1985, p.29). As Rawson (1981) puts it, euphemisms "are embedded so deeply in our language that few of us, even those who pride themselves on (in) being plain-spoken, ever go through a day without them".Euphemism has long been a focus of interest in linguistic circle, and a considerable amount of literature on euphemisms has been accumulating. Up to now, many scholars at home and abroad have probed into its causes, essential characteristics, pragmatic functions and so on from perspectives of semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, fuzzy linguistics, rhetoric, etc. and have made a lot of brilliant achievements. After reviewing different approaches to euphemism, the author claims that none of them offer a comprehensive and fruitful description for the production and interpretation of euphemisms. This thesis analyzes two of the most influential pragmatic theories-the Adaptation Theory and the Relevance Theory in explaining euphemisms. Through these investigations, the thesis advances that using a single theory or model lacks applicability. Therefore, the author suggests the relevance-adaptation theoretical model, an effectively complementary theoretical framework based on Adaptation Theory and Relevance Theory. This thesis accounts for euphemisms within this framework, aiming at some findings which can shed light on further research pursuing a comprehensive and thorough elaboration of euphemisms. The main claims of this model can be manifested as follows:First, language use is a process of constant choice-making, which includes both the choice-making of linguistic forms and communicative strategies, and the choice-making occurs in both the production and interpretation processes.Second, the purpose of communication for both speaker and hearer is to seek optimal relevance. Every act of ostensive communication communicates the presumption of its own optimal relevance. The speaker's task is to make sure that the interpretation he intends to convey is consistent with the principle of relevance. The hearer's task is to find the interpretation which is consistent with the principle of relevance.Third, the communicator's presumption of relevance decides his choice-making of linguistic forms. In accordance with the Relevance-Adaptation Model, the presumption of relevance is made during the process of adaptation, and it is the product of adapting his linguistic behaviour to those contextual correlates consistent with the principle of relevance. This adapting process is also a process of seeking for optimal relevance.Fourth, relevance-adaptation is a dynamic process in which linguistic choice and contextual choice are constantly inter-adapting with each other in language use. The contextual correlates include the social world, mental world and physical world. When the speaker makes certain choices concerning the linguistic forms, he is making choices of the relevant contextual correlates.Fifth, the process of relevance-adaptation involves strategy-choosing. The speaker not only makes choices of linguistic forms, but also makes choices of communicative strategies, since there is no one-to-one corresponding relationship between the functions and forms. Therefore the choice-making of communicative strategies adapts to certain communicative intentions.Within the framework of Relevance-Adaptation Model, this thesis revisits euphemisms, and concludes that euphemistic communication is a process of relevance-adaptation. It probes into the processes of production and interpretation of euphemism from three dimensions: the social world, mental world and the physical world. Furthermore, a new model concerning euphemism is proposed. This study makes its own contribution to the systematic study on euphemism, as an interdisciplinary phenomenon. From an angle scarcely ever touched upon by other researchers, a new model concerning the concrete process in the production and interpretation of euphemism is proposed. Otherwise, this analysis has a mighty power to support the rationality of Relevance-Adaptation Model.The thesis is made up of six chapters. Chapter one is a general introduction to the orientation of current study and the significance of choosing this topic. Chapter two reviews some related previous researches on English euphemisms from the perspective of rhetoric, psychology, and pragmatics, with an aim to point out the problems of the existing studies and set forth a new model as the framework for the present study. Chapter three and Chapter four analyzes the most two influential pragmatic theories-Relevance Theory and Adaptation Theory in explaining euphemisms respectively, with detailed explanations of their advantages and disadvantages. Chapter five is the central part of this thesis, which tentatively offers a comprehensive and thorough description for the production and interpretation of English euphemism within the Relevance-Adaptation Model. Chapter six, the conclusion, summarizes the whole research, points out some limitations of the present study, and at last offers some suggestions for successful communications.