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The art of speaking fair A Bibliographical study of Euphemism And Dysphemism

The art of speaking fair A Bibliographical study of Euphemism And Dysphemism It is eminently fitting that the Greeks who gave us their word for speaking fair should also have supplied us with the ultimate exemplification of its use. They were wont to refer to the Furies, a group of avenging goddesses, as the Eumenides or The Fair Ones. Since the Furies were imagined as having a batlike shape which was adorned with a profusion of snakish hair, they were not fair at all, but rather terrifying, intimidating in the highest degree. To euphemize a phenomenon is to call it something other than what it most particularly is, anything at all provided the new designation is gentler, milder, less offensive, less threatening. It is even possible, as in the case of the Furies renamed Fair Ones, to effect a 180degree reversal of meaning. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Reference Services Review Emerald Publishing

The art of speaking fair A Bibliographical study of Euphemism And Dysphemism

Reference Services Review , Volume 20 (3): 44 – Mar 1, 1992

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0090-7324
DOI
10.1108/eb049160
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

It is eminently fitting that the Greeks who gave us their word for speaking fair should also have supplied us with the ultimate exemplification of its use. They were wont to refer to the Furies, a group of avenging goddesses, as the Eumenides or The Fair Ones. Since the Furies were imagined as having a batlike shape which was adorned with a profusion of snakish hair, they were not fair at all, but rather terrifying, intimidating in the highest degree. To euphemize a phenomenon is to call it something other than what it most particularly is, anything at all provided the new designation is gentler, milder, less offensive, less threatening. It is even possible, as in the case of the Furies renamed Fair Ones, to effect a 180degree reversal of meaning.

Journal

Reference Services ReviewEmerald Publishing

Published: Mar 1, 1992

There are no references for this article.