Euphemistic expressions used in Kompas during World Cup 2002

ABSTRACT

One of the basic principles of euphemism is that the dispreferred expressions should be replaced by the preferred expressions to execute user’s communicative intention on a given context and to avoid possible loss of face.

The aim of the study to find out the types, styles, and functions of euphemistic expression used in Kompas. In order to find out the types, styles, and functions, a content analysis is adopted beside a discourse analysis that is also used in the process of finding the subjects. The key instrument for this study is the investigator him self. The analysis the data is conducted continuously trough the process of the displaying the data, reduci ng them, and drawing conclusion.

The data of this study comprises of the text written in Kompas. The major research question is to investigate: what are the types, styles and functions of euphemism used in Kompas during World Cup 2002. The technique for data gathering includes the analysis of documentary materials.

The main findings include first of all, the types of euphemisms indicate that euphemisms, which appear most frequently in Kompas, are hyperbole, denial, metaphor and litotes. The result suggest that usually the expressions are denial because the writer or the person who gives comment wanted to deny the real event in order to avoid the loss of face. The result lead US to believe that most people usually do not want tobe lost of face and used euphemistic expressions in substituting the real meaning of the words.

Further more, in line with the styles of euphemism, most of the expressions is casual, because football is kind of informal activities, so most of the expressions are casual that indicate a level of language in an informal situations.

With regard to the functions of euphemism, there are the functions such as: to evaluate, to reject/deny/refuse, to criticize, to inform, to promise, to convince and to curse. Most of them are to evaluate, because the writer wanted to evaluate the competitions.

There are some implications deal with this study. First, euphemism is not always bringing negative effect, because sometimes euphemism is needed by the people to avoid the loss of face. But the most people believe that euphemism always brings negative effect, because in substituting the words the real meaning was disguised. Second, euphemism not always used in political area, because this study is already proved that euphemism is also used in Kompas in talking about the football event not in political event.