A Linguistic Analysis of Euphemism in Persian

Euphemism in Persian is a less studied topic, which seems to deserve more attention. The present article aims to study the mechanisms, both linguistic and cognitive, used to produce euphemism in Persian, and also to suggest a classification for them. Euphemism is a powerful conversational tool used to enhance politeness and preserve the public self-image of the participants in communicative exchanges, hence, facilitating a harmonious interpersonal relationship. In Persian, most of the euphemistic expressions are associated with death, sexual relations, bodily effluvia, advertising, disability, insults, body parts, mental illness, drugs and business. In this language, there are three main ways in which euphemisms may be constructed: 1) phonemic modification, 2) loan words, and 3) semantic devices. Thus, we have the following classification of the main devices for constructing euphemism in Persian: reduplication, omission, loan words, implication, metaphor, metonymy, reversal, understatement, overstatement, circumlocution, litotes, fuzzy words, semantic widening, and deictic expressions.