EUPHEMISATION AS A PHENOMENON OF INDIRECT COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The paper deals with the use of euphemisms which serve as substitutes for taboo words in Russian mass media texts. They allow the speaker to talk about “unpleasant” issues, neutralizing or mitigating the unpleasantness. Although in most of the cases the use of euphemisation strategy is not obligatory, the journalists tend to apply it in order to show respect to the ethic code of speech communication. An euphemism can appear in the headline or lead, as well as in the main body of the article, constituting a nominative chain with the direct name of the referent and/or other euphemistic devices.