A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EUPHEMISMS IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN CULTURES
Keywords:
Euphemism, linguoculturology, cultural scripts, English-Russian contrastive analysis, taboo, politeness.Abstract
Euphemisms function as culturally sensitive linguistic tools for managing taboo and face-threatening topics. This study employs a linguoculturological approach to compare English and Russian euphemisms in the domains of death and mortality, bodily functions and intimacy, and social vulnerabilities. Using comparative-contrastive, discourse, and cultural script analysis, the research reveals both universal mechanisms and culture-specific patterns. English favors standardized lexical mitigation and institutional politeness, while Russian relies more on contextual flexibility, ritual formulas, and pragmatic resilience. These differences reflect distinct national linguocultural identities. Findings contribute to cross-cultural pragmatics and intercultural communication.
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