Noha Enab

Abstract

Euphemism, as a linguistic, pragmatic and cultural phenomenon, plays a vital role in creating harmonious interaction and saving face in social communication. However, limited research was conducted on the use of euphemism in Egyptian Arabic. The present study is geared mainly towards probing into the euphemistic expressions and strategies that Egyptian speakers of Arabic resort to when certain tabooed or sensitive topics and concepts are brought up in daily communication - in both face-threatening and non-face-threatening situations- when addressing topics such as physical and mental impairment, cancer, socially-inferior professions, bodily functions, sensitive marital status for women, as well as, death. A population of 275 adult Egyptian men and women from different ages and educational backgrounds were randomly chosen to answer a questionnaire on the euphemistic expressions they most commonly use in day-to-day life. The questionnaire has tested both face-threatening and non-face-threatening acts. Euphemistic strategies were then deduced and analyzed in the light of the classic categorization done by Allan and Burridge (1991). The findings suggest that Egyptian speakers of Arabic tend to use euphemisms a lot in their daily communication, especially in the presence of face-threatening acts. The most frequently used euphemistic strategies varied according to the addressed topic, but the ones most heavily relied upon were: understatement, general-for-specific, hyperbole, borrowing, circumlocution, and technical jargon. The study recommends promoting understanding and awareness of euphemistic expressions as well as strategies when teaching Arabic as a foreign language - especially Egyptian Arabic- hence more effective and interactive communication between learners and native speakers.

Department

Applied Linguistics Department

Degree Name

MA in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

Graduation Date

2-1-2020

Submission Date

September 2019

First Advisor

El Essawi, Raghda

Committee Member 1

Abu El Seoud, Dalal

Committee Member 2

Hassan, Mona

Extent

168 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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