COGNITIVE MECHANISMS OF EUPHEMISM: ANALYSIS BASED ON METAPHOR AND METONYMY
Keywords:
euphemism, cognitive linguistics, metaphor, metonymy, conceptual models, mental processes, discourse, conceptualization, cultural schemas, pragmatic inference.Abstract
This article investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying euphemistic language, focusing on metaphor and metonymy as primary tools for expressing socially sensitive or taboo concepts. Euphemisms are not merely stylistic alternatives but reflect complex mental operations that allow speakers to soften, obscure, or reinterpret meaning in culturally acceptable ways. Using a cognitive-linguistic approach, the study examines how conceptual metaphors map abstract or threatening concepts onto more familiar domains, while metonymic processes enable indirect reference through associated elements within a shared conceptual frame. Analysis of authentic language data demonstrates that both metaphor and metonymy facilitate understanding and production of euphemistic expressions, revealing the interaction between cognition, culture, and discourse. Moreover, the study highlights the role of background knowledge, inference, and cultural schemas in decoding euphemisms, emphasizing that comprehension depends on the listener’s mental processing within a given social and cultural context.
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