Eysfeld E.A. Application of Euphemisms Within Political Discource

http://dx.doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu2.2016.1.17 

Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Eysfeld

Postgraduate Student, Department of German Philology, Volgograd State University ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )


Abstract. This article represents a study of euphemisms functioning peculiarities within political discourse of the German language. The systematic linguistic analysis of Bundestag plenary protocol of October 15, 2015 shows the most important reasons of euphemisms application. The methods of continuous sampling and contextual analysis allow determining the set of linguistic means, which the speaker uses as euphemisms within the political discourse of the German language. The most important factors of euphemisms appearence in linguistic system are religious, social-ethical, political and social-esthetic reasons. As the research shows, the main conditions of euphemisms application in political discourse are upholding of intraparty discipline and political purposes, as well as observation of moral, ethical, cultural, social and other standards. Intensional, social-regulatory, phatic, emotive and expressive functions result in pragmatic function of euphemisms. However the main linguistic means, which the speaker uses as euphemisms, are metaphors, general words and expressions, litotes, oxymora, adoptions and neologisms, as well as ellipses and abbreviations. In addition the orator can change the speech style or use the intonation in order to reach euphemistic targets. The euphemisms application allows the speaker to hide forbidden or objectionable concepts and to leave necessary information in a more polite way. The comparative analysis of euphemisms functioning within Russian and German political discourse can be perspective of this study.

Key words: euphemism, taboo, information hiding, political correctness, political discourse, political speech, political linguistics.

Citation. Eysfeld E.A. Application of Euphemisms Within Political Discource. Science Journal of Volgograd State University. Linguistics, 2016, no. 1 (30), pp. 131-136. (in Russian). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu2.2016.1.17

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Application of Euphemisms Within Political Discource by Eysfeld E.A. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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