A Cognitive Approach To The Generating Mechanism Of English Euphemism

Euphemism is a common linguistic phenomenon in our daily life. Though lots of linguists have exerted their efforts to study English euphemism and have made great achievements, most of their studies fall into the scope of rhetoric, social linguistics, and pragmatics and so on. These studies regard euphemism as a means of expression, and can't demonstrate the subject of how euphemistic effects being generated. Thus, this thesis will focus on English euphemism from the perspective of cognitive linguistics attempting to obtain the generating mechanisms of English euphemism.Of the theories of cognitive linguistics, "categorization theory" and "conceptual metaphor and metonymy theory" are available to analyze euphemism not only because they deal with the general cognition of human beings but also because they are capable to demonstrate the inner generating mechanisms of all language phenomena. Within the framework of categorization theory, by distinguishing the semantic attributes between prototypes and non-prototype members, it finds that non-prototype members that are relatively fuzzy or weak and call for more efforts and experiences in the process of cognition, which is correspondent with the psychological foundation of English euphemism. The fuzzy and weak attributes increase the difficulties to access the prototypes. In this way, the'indirectness'effects is realized. Within the framework of conceptual metaphor and metonymy, through mapping between two cognitive domains that are similar to or relevant with each other, it highlights the attributes that do not cause sharp feeling and hides those attributes that sound more direct and harsh. Thereby, the relationship between natural category and language category expanded, because of which more efforts would be needed in the process of cognition. In this case, euphemistic effects are generated.By analyzing some typical euphemisms, two generating mechanisms of euphemism are obtained. The first mechanism is to transfer prototypical member from central to peripheral or from basic level to its superordinate level in a category so as to decrease the salient attributes of prototypical member. In this way, the gestalt of tabooed word is destroyed and euphemistic effects are generated. Through playing the function of conceptual metaphor and metonymy---- highlight certain attributes and hide other attributes, the second mechanism is realized. By highlighting the attributes that do not bring about unpleasant feeling in source domain and downplaying the negative attributes, euphemistic effects are realized.