委婉语研究：回顾与前瞻

Studies to Euphemism:Retrospets and Prospects

委婉语研究：回顾与前瞻束定芳，徐金元ＳｔｕｄｉｅｓｔｏＥｕｐｈｅｍｉｓｍ：ＲｅｔｒｏｓｐｅｔｓａｎｄＰｒｏｓｐｅｃｔｓ￥ｂｙＳｈｕＤｉｎｇｆａｎｇ＆ＸｕＪｉｎｙｕａｎＡｂｓｔｒａｃｔ：Ｅｕｐｈｅｍｉｓｍｈａｓｌｏｎｇｂｅｅｎａｔｏｐｉｃｏｆｍｕｃｈｉ...

Abstract Euphemism has long been a topic of much interest, especially to sociolinguists. There has been much research into the nature and scope of euphemisms in language and several dictionaries of euphemisms in English have been published since the 1980s. However, past studies of euphemisms are flawed in several ways. First, there has been no general agreement on the definition of euphemism; Second, attention has been mainly restricted to lexical euphemisms; Third, the role of euphemisms in linguistic change has not received adequate attention. Future researches in euphemism should not only address the above-mentioned problems, but also try to provide an adequate account for the social and psychological factors that affect this aspect of language use.