EUPHEMISMS AS LEXICAL MEANS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS CATEGORY EXPRESSION

Abstract

The article deals with euphemization as a process of creation the corresponding vocabulary in the political discourse, as well as with the notion of euphemia overshadowed by politically correct world. The phenomenon of euphemia and the notion political taboo within the speeches of both American and British politicians were under consideration while investigating. A special place is given to the characteristic features of political discourse and lexico-semantic peculiarities of euphemisms belonging to the language universals. The means of euphemization process is revealed while providing the examples of abstracts from speeches in English. The study concerns the manipulative impact of euphemisms on the recipient’s consciousness. The perception of social and political reality depends on functioning of the linguocognitive aspects of political discourse, that is currently considered to be the most popular and disassembled as a set of discursive practices in virtue of the role of conducting diplomatic relations and internal political communication; so, the focus is on the political discourse not only as a political phenomenon, but also as a linguistic and psychological one. Categorizing of euphemisms according to their semantics, emotiveness and consciousness of usage is optimal within the perspective of our study. Euphemisms are analyzed according to their type, function, cause and effect within politicians’ speeches. Hence, the main causative factors of euphemia are highlighted. The notion political correctness is revealed as one of the fundamental principles of political communication within the investigating process. Euphemization process prompts implementation of main politcorectness’ tasks, which imply avoiding taboos, approaching the audience, creating favorable communication conditions, being polite, influencing the recipient in a pragmatical way and modeling the interests of the target audience by veiling connotations or concealing concepts. The object of our study is correlated with the texts of speeches over the last four years, thus, the topical issues are concerned.