Euphemism is a linguistic tool used to communicate with indirect means, generally around a topic that causes psychosocial discomfort.

By Lauren M Hoos
Course: The Study of Words (Linguistics 1010)
Advisor: Prof. Laura Michaelis; TA Annebeth Buis
LURA 2018

Historically, euphemism has been correlated to fear or superstition. For example, often times we hear death referred to as passing away; while death is inevitable, avoiding direct reference to it both acknowledges the sensitivities of the hearer and comforts the speaker. Another linguistic example includes the word devil, which comes from the Greek word diabolos, or ‘thrower’, meaning one who throws insults. This euphemistic strategy is grounded in superstition, in particular the fear that speaking its name may cause it to appear. Other common euphemistic terms for devil are prince of darkness or fallen angel. Additionally, the German word brun, which translates to ‘brown one’, is used to refer to a bear, while in Russian the creature is called medved, which translates to ‘honey-knower’.
    
Since the election in 2016, and the inauguration of #45, speaking of the President seems to be a sensitive subject that brings a shift in mood of the conversation, whether it shows itself through fear, passion, or vehement opposition. Since noticing this linguistic shift, I have taken interest in the use of euphemism in reference to the current president of the United States. All over the internet, media, and in every day communication, we hear nicknames for him, ever-evolving, and increasingly humorous. I am interested in analyzing cross-cultural perspectives and the use of euphemism by speakers discussing the President. 

An important property of euphemism, which will figure in this study, is the fact that euphemistic expressions lose their efficacy relatively quickly. Dr. Steven Pinker coined this phenomenon as a ‘euphemism treadmill’: When a euphemistic term becomes the conventional way of referring to something, the term loses its euphemistic value, requiring the creation of a new indirect form. The etymology of toilet (from French toilettes ‘towels’) illustrates this. The term has come to refer to the commode itself, and the euphemism restroom is more commonly used in American English. 

In this proposed project, I expect to find evidence of the ephemerality of euphemism—that is, expressions will lose their euphemistic force over time and therefore must be frequently replaced. This explains the rapid evolution of nicknames. I expect to hear passionate discourse regarding our President.  Along with performing discourse analysis on the use of euphemism around his name, and looking for discourse markers that are abnormal to the subjects’ typical phonological patterns when discussing the POTUS, I will analyze definite descriptors used as a workaround for his name, expecting to find a connection between the use of euphemism around a topic or person which creates a sense of unease, and the sociolinguistic function of euphemism. 

With the help of my advisors, Dr. Laura Michaelis-Cummings and Dr. Kira Hall, I will use this research to defend my honors thesis.