unit2stopbeingcoy.pptVIP

Stop Being Coy Unit 2 coy: shy, affected modest Stop being coy: Stop being afraid of using plain, simple words. Do away with your shyness, decide what you want to say and say it as directly as possible in plain words. The title clearly expresses the writer’s negative attitude towards euphemism. Euphemism:  the use of a pleasanter, less direct name for something thought to be unpleasant. Euphemism comes from the Greek word euphemismos, meaning “to speak with good words.” A euphemism, then, is a mild, indirect or less offensive word or expression substituted when the speaker or writer fears more direct wording might be harsh, unpleasantly direct, or offensive. For example, we say “portly” or “full-figured” instead of “fat”, “inexpensive” instead of “cheap”. How do euphemisms come into being? The existence of taboo words or taboo ideas stimulates the creation of euphemisms. Since euphemisms may very well serve as polite substitutes for taboo language. Taboo and euphemisms are, thus, two faces of the same communication coin. A linguistic taboo refers to a word or expression that is prohibited by the educated or the polite society form general use. Obscene, profane and swear words are all taboo words that are to be avoided entirely. Many languages contain 2 words or expressions with the identical linguistic meaning, with one acceptable and the other a cause of embarrassment or horror. In English, words borrowed from Latin generally sound “scientific” and therefore, appear to be “clean”, whereas their native Anglo-Saxon counterparts are often considered taboo, a sociolinguistic fact reflecting that the vocabulary used by the upper classes is superior to that used by the lower classes. Thus, an upper class lady “perspires” and “expectorates” while a kitchen maid “sweats” and “spits” In many cultures, people avoid using direct words that pertain to death or dying because it is the subject that everyone fears and is unpleasant to talk about. This gives rise to a