Cultural Difference in Chinese and English Euphemisms

Abstract

The term “euphemism” comes from Greek and the literal meaning of the word is “to speak with good words or in a pleasant manner”. Euphemism is not only a linguistic phenomenon, but also a cultural phenomenon. It originates from “word fetishism” in the early age of human civilization. Now, it is commonly used by people in every aspect of social life and functions to avoid taboos, be polite and disguise etc. To a great extent, it serves as the “lubricating oil” in language communication. Without proper application of euphemism, people may usually feel confused or embarrassed in communication. The study of euphemism has long been the focus of researchers home and abroad. Both English and Chinese have a lot of euphemisms.Language is the carrier and reflector of culture, euphemisms in different cultures may have different characteristics of the social culture. We know more about the traditional cultures of both languages. The findings in the comparison of cultural aspects can provide us knowledge helpful for the better understanding and use of euphemisms.