Information on the thesis

The thesis investigates linguo-cognitive characteristics of euphemisms in the
English language American political discourse, based on the publications in The New York
Times and The Washington Post of 2000-2020. The thesis focuses on establishing
cognitive mechanisms in the basis of euphemisms and defining their influence on the
addressee’s associative comprehension in the political discourse.
The euphemisation phenomenon is observed not only as a substitute of rude and
impolite words but also as a substitute of undesirable words or facts with the purpose of
veiling. In the research the author follows V. B. Velykoroda’s definition of euphemism as
the linguist focuses on the fact that euphemisms in the context of modern linguistics
become a means of thought alteration and manipulation, as they more often express
phenomena which are not rude or taboos but those which are negatively treated by
addressees and which are embarrassing for politicians.
A euphemism is claimed to acquire new functions and extend its sphere of usage on
the background of increase of the spectrum of reasons for euphemisation. It has been
defined that a political euphemism can be any euphemism in the political discourse which
deliberately distorts information comprehension in order to neutralize negative evaluation
of a denotatum.
Political discourse has been found to be any speech unit, the subject, addressee or
content of which correlates with the sphere of politics. Political discourse is also aimed at
gaining and holding power. As the political discourse to a great extent occurs in mass
media, articles dealing with politics from periodicals are considered to belong to political
discourse as well. It is claimed that euphemisms are greatly used by politicians as, being
the result of secondary nomination, euphemism creates a new ameliorated sense and veils
any negative phenomenon and is also one of means of manipulation.
It has been established that euphemism as a phenomenon of cognitive derivation is
based on such cognitive mechanisms as a conceptual metaphor, conceptual metonymy and
metaphtonymy. Conceptually-metaphoric euphemisms, conceptually-metonymic and
metaphtonymic euphemisms influence addressee’s associative thinking, causing
ameliorated reactions and associations concerning negative political acts and social
factors. Therefore, values undergo rethinking and the information comprehension
undergoes distortion.
The theories of conceptual metaphor and conceptual integration are used to define
linguo-cognitive characteristics of conceptually-metaphoric euphemisms under study.
Applying the theory of conceptual metaphor source domains with the help of which
negative phenomena are conceptualized in the process of euphemisation have been
established. As a result 25 conceptual metaphors in the bases of euphemisms belonging to
the following 3 thematic groups have been defined: 1) euphemisms denoting politicians’
negative acts and personality traits; 2) war euphemisms; 3) economic euphemisms. In the
course of the research a tendency of the euphemistic conceptualization through opposite
spheres of knowledge is observed, and a euphemistic conceptualization through similar
spheres of knowledge is noticed as well, that is when the knowledge is transferred to the
target domains from the source domains belonging to mutual wider spheres of knowledge
like medicine, order and education.
Applying the theory of conceptual integration conceptual networks have been
built to analyse linguo-cognitive characteristics of the conceptually-metaphoric
euphemisms under study. This kind of analysis makes it possible to expose hidden
euphemistic senses, based on the integration of incongruous elements in the blended space,
which stay invisible applying only conceptual metaphor theory to the analysis. Due to the
conceptual integration theory an opposite senses conflict is established (when some
phenomenon is conceptualized through the opposite sense) even if conceptual integration
takes place between the domains which are not opposite to each other.
In the course of the research through the theory of conceptual metonymy it has been
found out that conceptually-metonymic euphemisms under study are based on the 20
conceptual metonymy WHOLE as PART. This metonymic conceptualization makes
euphemisms unnoticeable in the political discourse. Therefore addressees do not
distinguish negative phenomena as they are represented as wider more positive or neutral
notions including those negative phenomena.
The euphemisms under study belonging to the following thematic groups are
considered to be based on metaphtonymy: euphemisms denoting black economy, retreat,
dismissal, stealing and bribery. Using conceptual integration theory conceptual networks
have been built for each of the groups of the euphemisms based on metaphtonymy and
metonymic extension of one of the domains has been traced. Manipulation effect is
claimed to be gained due to moving some needed positive aspects in the foreground and
leaving negative undesirable ones in the background. In the course of the analyses the
opposite senses conflict has been observed as well, which greatly increases euphemistic
potential.
Key words: euphemism, political discourse, concept, conceptualization, conceptual
metaphor, conceptual integration, conceptual metonymy, metaphtonymy, cognitive
linguistics, associative comprehension, opposite senses conflict.