Why We Say 'Gosh' Instead of 'God': The Hidden Power of Euphemism
Euphemisation of Taboo Areas [pdf]
This academic paper explores how taboo and euphemism drive semantic change, from religious prohibitions on naming gods to political and military uses of terms like 'ethnic cleansing' and 'surgical operation.' It examines how social and psychological pressures lead to lexical replacement, such as 'donkey' replacing 'ass' in American English, and how once a euphemism is accepted, the original term becomes even less acceptable. The author also discusses the Great Chain of Being, showing how taboo affects words from the divine to the animal world.
Every human has been preprogrammed to find ways to talk around tabooed subjects.
- lambdaone
I found the use of <SYMBOLS LIKE THIS> throughout the text without explanation somewhat off-putting. Clearly some sort of technical usage is being suggested, but it doesn't seem to add anything to the text.
- TazeTSchnitzel
This is fun to read, but there are some odd quirks to the text that I would hope wouldn't slip past an editor, and the way some of the Christian aspects are talked about feels bizarrely partisan for an academic text (it gives the impression the author might be Catholic). I wonder if it is just clumsiness.
- tbrownaw
I do not see the term "euphemism treadmill" in this anywhere. This is talking about the same thing, so I'd think the common term for it would at least be mentioned.