Euphemism, Hedging or Mystification of Responsibility? An Investigation into Contemporary Colloquial Discourse with Particular Reference to Taxi Drivers & Undergraduate University Students in Egypt & Jordan

Abstract

The present research attempts to investigate a certain linguistic feature which the researcher believes to be characteristic of contemporary colloquial Arabic discourse, viz. the use of certain linguistic techniques and/or tricks, whether consciously or unconsciously, to avoid the use of a harsh description of a given situation, to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing duties and questions, or even to elude responsibility altogether. All the above-mentioned may fall under the umbrella of passivism and irresponsibility. In case this is true, academic research in the field of sociolinguistics, pragmatics and discourse analysis may as well contribute to diagnosing the phenomenon in question as a necessary step towards the solution of any problems resulting from the negative attitudes underlying the linguistic behaviour under study.The research hypotheses stem from the researcher's personal observations in Egypt and in Jordan. In an attempt to verify these hypotheses, the present research examines a sample of common expressions used as potential and almost automatic responses to certain situations, all of which have one thing in common: dissatisfaction, ranging from the trivial or at least insignificant (Misunderstanding/Miscommunication) to the sublimely tragic (A car accident/failure in a final examination). The sample consists of two different groups: undergraduate university students and taxi drivers, in an attempt at finding out whether or not the occupational interests of the sample group members play an active role with regard to the linguistic phenomenon in question.The researcher depends on face-to-face encounters in an attempt to keep the linguistic behaviour of the informants as fresh and spontaneous as possible. The data analysis makes use of relevant semantic, pragmatic, stylistic, grammatical and discoursal devices.Finally, the researcher comes up with the main findings of the research, discusses them and attempts to explore the causes and possible implications of the linguistic phenomenon under study.Keywords: euphemism, hedging, eluding, mystification, demystification, responsibility, passiveness, supernatural IntroductionThe present paper deals with some common features of human languages in general, yet with a specific reference to their phenomenal presence in contemporary colloquial discourse in Egypt and Jordan. A sample of students and taxi drivers in both countries has been selected as informants for the study. Significance of the ResearchLanguage is hardly a mere means of communicating ideas and/or feelings. The special way each one of them uses language stems from one's character, intentions and attitudes. Yet the prevailing linguistic phenomena at a particular time and in a particular place could also be of great help in exploring collective attitudes of given www.ccsenet.org/ijel

COVID-19 Pandemic: Euphemism and Dysphemism in Jordanian Arabic

“…Figure 2 shows that the two words ‫المر‬ ‫ض‬ 'the disease' and ‫الفيروس‬ 'the virus' came in the third rank at 32 times for each. The word ‫المرض‬ 'the disease' has been most commonly used in Arab societies as a euphemistic alternative for 'cancer '. ElShiekh (2013) observed that some Egyptian and Jordanian speakers frequently adopt colloquial euphemisms, such as ‫الوحش‬ ‫المرض‬ 'the bad disease' to avoid mentioning openly the cancer disease in everyday conversations.…”