THE PHENOMENON OF EUPHEMIZATION: NEW FORMS OF ABBREVIATION IN THE MODERN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

Introduction. The article is conducted with a focus on the functional-pragmatic paradigm of knowledge. It highlights specific issues of linguography, whose subject matter includes the phenomenon of abbreviation. Through its actualization in the linguistic space of the English language, euphemisms are created.
The phenomenon of euphemization presents the current processes of modern speech, as contemporary communication is geared towards positive interaction, neutralizing negative verbal forms found in vulgarisms,
taboos, dysphemisms, obscene vocabulary, etc. The study of this phenomenon is based on the methodological foundations of pragmalinguistics.
Purpose. The scientific study aims to characterize the uniqueness of the euphemization process typical of English linguoculture, by tracking and identifying typical models for creating abbreviatory euphemisms. For this purpose, we set the following tasks: (1) to clarify the essence of euphemism and (2) to describe the models for
creating abbreviatory euphemisms in English.
Results. The study describes the essence of the term euphemism, presents the types of euphemized abbreviations (initial, acronymic, letter-number, mixed), including graphical ones, and details their functioning features and actualized semantics. It is found that in the process of creating euphemisms through abbreviations, a powerful semantic-pragmatic potential appears, allowing the essence of the designated concept to be veiled even at the grapheme (letter) level. Specific types of abbreviatory euphemisms are identified, and their semantic and functional-pragmatic properties are characterized.
Originality. The novelty of the research is motivated by the fact that it identifies and characterizes a layer of euphemisms widespread in the media texts of contemporary English linguoculture, describes the types of
language game used for modelling euphemisms, and justifies the necessity to expand the metalanguage of
linguography by actualizing the term “graphical euphemism”. The modelling of graphical euphemism is based on the replacement of corresponding graphemes with non-letter symbols.
Conclusion. It has been proven that a separate layer of euphemistic abbreviations is formed and distributed into certain thematic groups. Their modification models have been characterized. These linguistic units are used to adhere to norms of politeness and etiquette. Among complex abbreviations, the leading method by quantitative indicators is the two-component compound “letter + word”, actualized in media texts. At the same time, paragraphemic symbols are used for modelling euphemization: units created by the specified method create a masking effect. The research perspective is seen in the necessity to systematize knowledge about the creation of new models of euphemization in Slavic and non-Slavic languages.