A Comparative Study of Chinese, Japanese and English Euphemisms from the Perspective of Sociolinguistics

Yinyin Xu

doi:10.63313/LLCS.9086

Authors

Yinyin Xu Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530000, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/LLCS.9086

Keywords:

Sociolinguistics, Euphemism, Social Functions

Abstract

English euphemism is not only a kind of linguistic phenomenon but also a kind of social and cultural phenomenon. From the perspective of sociolinguistics, this paper employs the literature research method and the case analysis method to conduct a comparative study of euphemisms in Chinese, Japanese, and English. The research reveals that euphemisms in these three languages share certain commonalities while also demonstrating marked differences in terms of indirectness, temporality, nationality, and regionality. At the same time, eu-phemisms serve multiple social functions such as avoidance, politeness, con-cealment, and humor. This study aims to provide some reference for the re-search on euphemisms from the perspective of sociolinguistics.

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