Euphemism on Death in English

Abstract：　In　western　countries，　people　could　trace　back　the　history　of　English　euphemism　to　the　period　of　Anglo-Saxon.　People　can　find　euphemism　in　the　text　of　its　national　epic，　Beowulf，　for　instance，　the　literal　meaning　of　“ellorsi”　is　“journey　elsewhere”，　however，　it　is　used　as　euphemism　to　avoid　saying　death　directly　in　fact.　After　Norman　Conquest　in　1066，　euphemism　started　to　flourish.

Key　words：　Anglo-Saxon；euphemism；ellorsi

中图分类号：H31　文献标识码：Ａ　文章编号：1005-5312（2012）33-0121-01

1.　The　History　of　Euphemism

Then　in　Victorian　period，　euphemism　reached　the　top　height.　This　period　was　one　of　the　most　taboo-minded　and　taboo-ridden　societies　in　the　history　of　western　countries.　At　that　time，　women　would　fall　in　a　faint　when　they　heard　one　saying　“leg”　which　take　the　place　of　“limb”　because　it　was　regarded　as　the　sexual　implication　in　that　peculiar　age.

2.　Analysis　of　Euphemism　on　Death　in　English

2.1　Euphemism　on　Death　in　the　Field　of　Religion

In　western　countries，　lots　of　men　are　Christians.　Under　the　circumstance，　many　expressions　of　euphemisms　on　death　can　be　found　in　Bible　or　Church　Doctrine.　Disciples　of　Christianity　believe　the　existence　of　God　and　consider　that　God　creates　the　world.　As　a　result，　a　kind　of　euphemism　on　death　is　“to　return　to　dust　or　earth”.　People　believe　that　they　were　born　with　guilt　and　they　live　in　the　dirty　world　because　they　need　to　pay　back，　therefore，　death　is　also　called　“to　pay　for　the　debt　of　nature”.　Besides，　“The　last　judgment”　will　be　given　by　God　after　death.　As　a　result，　“the　last　judgment”　becomes　another　expression　of　euphemism　on　death.　During　the　period　of　judgment，　people　must　hand　in　their　accounts.　It　is　God　who　decides　whether　people　can　go　to　heaven　and　be　with　god　or　not.　Because　of　this，　Men　are　bound　to　“be　called　to　God　to　answer　the　final　summons”.　If　people　do　like　this，　they　will　launch　into　eternity　and　be　at　peace.　God　is　the　one　that　people　respect　most　in　western　counties，　hence，　“to　go　the　heaven”，　“to　be　with　God”，　“to　launch　into　eternity”　and　“to　be　at　peace”　are　also　the　expressions　of　euphemisms　on　death.　“Full　asleep”　also　occurred　as　one　kind　of　euphemism　on　death.　It　is　one　kind　of　common　euphemism　on　death　which　is　often　used　to　carve　on　tombstone.　According　to　this，　people　also　use　“asleep　in　the　arms　of　God”　and　“asleep　in　the　lord”　as　“full　asleep”.　Other　widely　used　prepositional　phrases　brought　out　by　religion　as　in　“God　took　her　to　himself”　or　“he　was　gathered　to　his　father　or　ancestor.

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