A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TABOOS AND EUPHEMISMS IN TURKISH AND IRANIAN-AZERI LANGUAGES

Abstract

This study compares and contrasts the use of taboos terms and euphemisms such as the use of jargon terms, constructions, euphemisms, metaphoric expressions, circumlocution, and use of borrowed terms in two Turkic languages, i.e. Iranian-Azeri and Turkish. Having been born and bred in Tabriz, an Azeri city in Iran, I settled down in Istanbul, Turkey as a language instructor in 2015. The use of ethnographic observations of interactions between local people in Istanbul led me to infer the similarities and differences that exist in linguistic taboos and the use of euphemistic strategies. Moreover, the present analysis is based on the theoretical framework informed by Qanbar (2011) and the politeness approach proposed by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987). In this vein, this work sought to describe how different categories of euphemistic terms are created and explicated the underlying reasons to use them, such as for face-saving, expression of admiration, manipulation, marketing etc. The findings are also aimed to account for marked differences that would be present in the use of euphemisms in the Turkish language as a result of language change in the course of time. In the end, it is concluded that these processes are conditioned by the cultural and religious norms of the society.

Keywords

• taboo
• euphemism
• Turkish
• Azeri

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