Death Euphemisms in English: A Linguistic and Cultural Perspective

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of death euphemisms in the English language, examining their linguistic structure, cultural functions, and socio-pragmatic significance. Euphemisms for death serve not only as linguistic softeners but also as indicators of social attitudes toward mortality, grief, and taboo. Drawing on corpus-based examples and cross-cultural comparisons, the study categorizes common death euphemisms and investigates their role in mitigating the psychological discomfort associated with the subject of death.