1) the utterance of good or auspicious words Heinrich Himmler, aware that the word had come to be known to mean murder, replaced that euphemism with one in which Jews would be "guided" (to their deaths) through the slave-labor and extermination camps[15] after having been "evacuated" to their doom. (2006). where a character requests, "Martha, will you show her where we keep the, uh, euphemism?". In the animated TV special Halloween Is Grinch Night (see Dr. Seuss), a child asks to go to the euphemism, where euphemism is being used as a euphemism for outhouse. This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 00:00. [14] As early as 1939, Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich used the term Sonderbehandlung ("special treatment") to mean summary execution of persons viewed as "disciplinary problems" by the Nazis even before commencing the systematic extermination of the Jews. The word "euphemism" derives from the same root. For example, in the past, the US military used the term "sunshine units" for contamination by radioactive isotopes. Euphemia "Tika" Sumpter (born 1983), American actress, Euphemia li Britannia - a character in the anime series Code Geass Famous bearer: 4th-century martyr St Euphemia. euphēmia . Of special interest in Paul's list given here is the word [@arete], translated "virtue." The name Euphemia is of Greek origin, and is used mostly in English speaking countries but also in a few other countries and languages of the world. A euphemism is an unobjectionable word or expression that replaces another that can be received as harmful or unpleasant. [13] An effective death sentence in the Soviet Union during the Great Purge often used the clause "imprisonment without right to correspondence": the person sentenced would be shot soon after conviction. "Entrepreneur" for "business-man", adds glamour; "douche" (French: shower) for vaginal irrigation device; "bidet" (French: little pony) for "vessel for intimate ablutions". Euphemia Potter- James Potter’s mother, married to Fleamont Potter and paternal grandmother to Harry Potter in the Harry Potter book series. St. Euphemia is especially venerated and renowned because of a miracle she performed over 100 years after her death. The Gulag Archipelago I. For example, according to linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the neutral Hebrew lexical item פעימות peimót ("beatings (of the heart)"), rather than נסיגה nesigá ("withdrawal"), to refer to the stages in the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank (see Wye River Memorandum), in order to lessen the opposition of right-wing Israelis to such a move. Of course, anybody familiar with Scooby Doo already knows how adorable this name can be. The diminutive Effie is a pet form of Euphemia.. Euphemia, also rendered as Eufemia and Eupham, may also refer to: Euphemia - Saint Euphemia (Greek: Ευφημία Late Koine Greek [efiˈmia]), "well-spoken [of]", known as the All-praised in the Orthodox Church, is a Christian saint, who was martyred for her faith in 303 AD Euphemia Lamb - Euphemia Lamb (née Annie Euphemia Forrest; 1887 – 1957) was an English artists' model and the wife of Henry Lamb. Solzhenitsyn, Alexander (1974). Early Christian name and the name of a fourth-century virgin martyr. For instance, toilet is an 18th-century euphemism, replacing the older euphemism house-of-office, which in turn replaced the even older euphemisms privy-house and bog-house. Euphemia Jones, mother to American actress Vivian Vance Other science fiction series have similarly used word substitution to avoid censorship, such as "frell" instead of "fuck" in Farscape, "gorram" and "rutting" instead of "goddamn" and "fucking" in Firefly, and "frag" instead of "fuck" in Babylon 5. St. Euphemia, the "Great Martyr" of the Eastern Orthodox church Euphemisms are also used to mitigate, soften or downplay the gravity of large-scale injustices, war crimes, or other events that warrant a pattern of avoidance in official statements or documents. This successfully avoided the network censors. People who like the name Euphemia also like: Effie, Ophelia, Esme, Anastasia, Desdemona, Evangeline, Octavia The word "euphemism" derives from the same root. Her opposite number was Momus (Critique). . [18] The act of human defecation is possibly the most needy candidate for the euphemism in all eras. 3. English To Greek Word List Preferred English translation is in parentheses. 6:8). The word "euphemism" derives from the same root. These words enraged the Proconsul, and he had Euphemia and her companions tortured continuously for twenty days. Doublespeak is a term sometimes used for deliberate euphemistic misuse of words to distort or reverse their meaning. The coining and usage of euphemisms reveals what the coiner or speaker/writer considers, perhaps only sub-consciously, to be shameful, and may thus be an indication of prejudices or opinions held. The name "Euphema" was my great-aunts name. "Contamination and camouflage in euphemisms". Another example in American English is the replacement of colored with Negro (euphemism by foreign language),[20] then the "honest" non-euphemistic form "Black" making a brief appearance (due to 1960s political forces attempting to normalise black skin) before being suppressed again by the present euphemistic "African American". Commonly, euphemisms are used to avoid directly addressing subjects that might be deemed negative or embarrassing, e.g. A situation in which all but one of the administrators of a Facebook fan page are removed. Euphemia (/ j uː ˈ f iː m i ə /; Greek: Ευφημία) is a Greek female given name, meaning "well-spoken".It is derived from the ancient Greek words ευ (good) and φημί (to speak). The Holy Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised is one of a host of early Christian men and women who suffered at the hands of Romans because of their Faith in Jesus Christ. Eupheme is a reference to the female The phrase "make whoopee" was often used on the popular game show The Newlywed Game starting in the late 1960s, whenever the host asked a question about sexual relations. Periphrasis, or circumlocution, is one of the most common: to "speak around" a given word, implying it without saying it. Euphemia is derived from the Greek elements "eu" (good) and "pheme" (to speek). Original Word: εὔφημος, ον Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: euphémos Phonetic Spelling: (yoo'-fay-mos) Definition: well reported of Usage: well reported of, spoken in a kindly spirit, laudable, reputable. Etymology: Name of an early Christian martyr, from Ancient Greek Εὐφημία ( Euphēmía ) , from εὐ- ( eu- , " good") + φήμη ( phḗmē , " repute") + -ίᾱ ( -íā ) . Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture, although properly pronounced in upper-class British-English "barkley". Know an Euphemia? Daphne: In Greek mythology, Daphne is a nymph and daughter of the river god Peneus. [1] Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes to downplay. Original Word: εὐφημία, ας, ἡ Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: euphémia Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-fay-mee'-ah) Definition: good report Usage: commendation, good report, praise. Greek words for euphoria include ευφορία and ευεξία. Euphemia is a name that's been used primarily by parents who are considering baby names for girls. Eupheme refers to the female Greek spirit of positive words. "meat packing company" for "slaughter-house" (avoids entirely the subject of killing); "natural issue" for "bastard"; "let go" for "fired" or "dismissed" (implies a generosity on the part of the employer in allowing employee to depart); "intimate" for "sexual," "adult material" for "pornography"; "issue" for "problem"; "high-net worth" for "rich"; "plus-sized" for "overweight," "escort/sex-worker" for "prostitute" (down-plays/morally elevates the activity); "memorial marker" for "gravestone"; "staff-member" for "servant"; "colleague" for "employee" (apparent promotion from servant to partner); "operative" for "worker" (elevates status); "turf-accountant" or "book-maker" for "betting shop" (professionalises an unworthy activity); "marital aid" for "sex toy" (converts to an object fulfilling a worthy objective); "special needs" for disability; or "final expenses" for "funeral costs". Euphemia of Ross, queen of Scotland and wife of Robert II [6]:181, Euphemism may be used as a rhetorical strategy, in which case its goal is to change the valence of a description. Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew, "Affirmative Action: A Euphemism for Racial Profiling by Government", "The Supreme Court tangles over euphemisms for affirmative action", "Shields and Brooks on the CIA interrogation report, spending bill sticking point", "Transcript of interview with CIA director Panetta", "America Must Atone for the Torture It Inflicted", "Obscene, Indecent and Profane Broadcasts", http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/berk, "Return of Rongelapese to their Home Island – Note by the Secretary", "Wannsee Conference and the "Final Solution, "Why We Have So Many Terms for 'People of Color, "George Carlin's stand up act: Euphemism", "Shazbot! © 2021 Wild Sky Media All rights reserved. This is found nowhere else in Paul's letters and in only two other New Testament references (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3), despite the fact of its being "a frequent word in classical and Hellenistic Greek." Over time, circumlocutions become recognized as established euphemisms for particular words or ideas. Venereal disease, which associated shameful bacterial infection with a seemingly worthy ailment emanating from Venus the goddess of love, soon lost its deflective force in the post-classical education era, as "VD", which has now been replaced by the three-letter acronym "STD" (sexually transmitted disease) or "STI" (sexually transmitted infection). Try the E uphemia as a girls' name is of Greek origin, and the meaning of Euphemia is "good to speak". Reasons for using euphemisms vary by context and intent. English: Greek: able, ability: dunamis: adultery (unfaithful) (break marriage) Name MatchMaker to find the perfect baby name for you! Both the noun euphemiaand the adjective euphemosare derived from the noun pheme(fhvmh), “report, news,” and the verb phemi(fhmiv), “to say, to affirm.” 4. It is … Ancient martyr's name that, though not especially appealing, might still be mildly possible, especially for Anglophiles. Effie, Effy, Fifi, Emmie, Emma, Mia, Mimi. [9] Feck is a minced oath originating in Hiberno-English and popularised outside of Ireland by the British sitcom Father Ted. The act of labeling a term as a euphemism can in itself be controversial, as in the following two examples: There is some disagreement over whether certain terms are or are not euphemisms. Euphemism originates from the Greek word euphemia, a compound of eu (good) and pheme (speech). Then "Greek for the Rest of us" is just for you! Greek Εύφημία ‘auspicious speech’, hence ‘worship of the grand-daughter’, ‘honour’, or ‘good repute’. "Greek Lexicon entry for Euphemia". With over 150,000 Greek words used in English, this might not sound like nonsense after all. The same word has also been used in his short story "Flies". The term euphemism itself was used as a euphemism by the ancient Greeks; with the meaning "to keep a holy silence" (speaking well by not speaking at all).[4]. McGlone, M. S., Beck, G., & Pfiester, R. A. Meanings Greek Baby Names Meaning: In Greek Baby Names the meaning of the name Euphemia is: Auspicious speech or good repute. Thayer's Greek Lexicon: ̓́ . It was widely used in early Scotland, but was overtaken by its nickname, EFFIE. Did You Know? Can anyone help me? Strong's #2162: euphemia (pronounced yoo-fay-mee'-ah) from 2163; good language ("euphemy"), i.e. Euphemism definition is - the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; also : the expression so substituted. Phonetic euphemism is used to replace profanities, diminishing their intensity. Check out 14 frakkin' awesome sci-fi curse words", "The Good Place's Kristen Bell and Ted Danson Reveal Their Forkin' Favorite Alternative Curse Words", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Euphemism&oldid=999398902, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Articles with trivia sections from March 2019, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Shortening or "clipping" the term, such as. Eupheme was the ancient Greek personified spirit (daimona) of praise, acclamation and shouts of triumph. "The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon". "Tired and emotional" is a notorious British euphemism for "drunk", popularised by the satirical magazine Private Eye and used by MPs to avoid unparliamentary language. New York: Harper Perennial. Innocuous word or expression used in place of one that may be found offensive. Euphemia Forename Definition: A female name. The use of a term with a softer connotation, though it shares the same meaning. Pleasant, positive, worthy, neutral or non-descript terms are substituted for explicit or unpleasant ones, with many substituted terms deliberately coined by socio-political progressive movements, cynically by planned marketing, public relations or advertising initiatives, including: Over time it becomes socially unacceptable to use the former word, as one is effectively down-grading the matter concerned to its former lower status, and the euphemism becomes dominant, due to a wish not to offend. In Scotland, it is used as the English form of the Gaelic Oighrig (see Effie). Derived from the ancient greek words ευ "good" and φημί "to speak". The name Euphemia means Speak Words Of Good Omen and is of Greek origin. … In fact, there is only one case of his curses being referred to as such, leading some readers to mistakenly assume that the euphemism is Ebling's, rather than Asimov's. introduced us to a new euphemism for sexual intercourse. I have asked several ppl in the family but no one can remember what it means. Basic ancient and (overly) direct Anglo-Saxon words such as deaf, dumb, blind, lame, all have modern euphemisms. The word shit appears to have originally been a euphemism for defecation in Pre-Germanic, as the Proto-Indo-European root *sḱeyd-, from which it was derived, meant 'to cut off'.[21]. [5], Euphemisms are sometimes used to lessen the opposition to a political move. In The Sims series, the word WooHoo is used as a euphemistic slang for various activities of sexual intercourse in the series. George Carlin has stated in audio books and his stand-up shows that euphemisms soften everyday language and take the life out of it. Bureaucracies frequently spawn euphemisms intentionally, as doublespeak expressions. This euphemistic use of euphemism also occurred in the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The name Euphemia is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "fair speech". 1999. Some examples of Cockney rhyming slang may serve the same purpose: to call a person a berk sounds less offensive than to call a person a cunt, though berk is short for Berkeley Hunt,[10] which rhymes with cunt.[11]. Euphemisms may be used to mask profanity or refer to taboo topics such as disability, sex, excretion, or death in a polite way. Modifications include: To alter the pronunciation or spelling of a taboo word (such as a swear word) to form a euphemism is known as taboo deformation, or a minced oath. In Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, the curses of the scientist Ebling Mis have all been replaced with the word unprintable. For instance, screwed up is a euphemism for fucked up; hook-up and laid are euphemisms for sexual intercourse. [23] The Good Place takes this word substitution to its logical extreme, replacing all profanities with similar-sounding English words under the premise that such words may not be spoken in a perfect afterlife in order to avoid making anyone uncomfortable; "son of a bitch" becomes "son of a bench", "bullshit" becomes "bullshirt", and "fuck" becomes "fork".[24]. The form water closet, which in turn became euphemised to W.C., is a less deflective form. Do you want to understand a Strong's Bible but don't have the time to do all the memory of traditional language learning? Euphemia is a Greek name meaning "well-spoken." Finding their faith completely unshaken, and seeing that Euphemia was the leading spirit of the group, he ordered her limbs to be crushed by iron wheels. Saint Euphemia was an … Expressions or words from a foreign language may be imported for use as a replacement for an offensive word. Euphemism comes from the Greek word euphemia (εὐφημία) which refers to the use of 'words of good omen'; it is a compound of eû (εὖ), meaning 'good, well', and phḗmē (φήμη), meaning 'prophetic speech; rumour, talk'. What are her siblings named? The song Makin' Whoopee from the 1928 musical Whoopee! The saint Euphemia was tortured when she was found practicing the Christian faith with a number of others in Chalcedon after the worship of any god other than Ares was outlawed. In American English, words that are unacceptable on television, such as fuck, may be represented by deformations such as freak, even in children's cartoons. For example, in the book Nineteen Eighty-Four the "Ministry of Peace" is the war department, and the "Ministry of Love" is a torture and state loyalty department. In Wes Anderson's film Fantastic Mr. Fox, the replacement of swear words by the word cuss became a humorous motif throughout the film. [3] Eupheme is a reference to the female Greek spirit of words of praise and positivity, etc. As far back as Vaudeville, a villain would say something similar to "Curses, foiled again," where the word "curses" takes the place of actual invective. death, sex, excretory bodily functions. praise (repute):--good report. [2], Euphemism comes from the Greek word euphemia (εὐφημία) which refers to the use of 'words of good omen'; it is a compound of eû (εὖ), meaning 'good, well', and phḗmē (φήμη), meaning 'prophetic speech; rumour, talk'. Greek lexicon based on Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament." Ironically, whilst in English physical "handicap" is almost always substituted for a modern euphemism, in French the English word "handicap" is used as a euphemism for their problematic words "infirmité" or "invalidité". In the 20th century, where the old euphemisms lavatory (a place where one washes) or toilet (a place where one dresses[19]) had grown from long usage (e.g. However, visual impairment can be a broader term, including, for example, people who have partial sight in one eye, those with uncorrectable mild to moderate poor vision, or even those who wear glasses, groups that would be excluded by the word blind or even partially blind. [22], In Battlestar Galactica (1978), use of the words "frak" and "frakking" was directly substituted for the English slang words "fuck" and "fucking", confounding the censors. She and her three sisters--Eucleia (Good Repute), Euthenia (Prosperity) and Philophrosyne (Welcome)--were probably the goddesses known collectively as the younger Charites (Graces). Derived from the ancient greek words ευ "good" and φημί "to speak". How to pronounce Euphemia? They may be created for innocent, well-intentioned purposes or nefariously and cynically, intentionally to deceive and confuse. Do you want to get to the Greek behind the English translations, do Greek word studies, use better dictionaries and commentaries, and not be frightened by the Greek words? Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ meaning "good" and φημί meaning "to speak, to declare". For example, sometimes the phrase visually impaired is labeled as a politically correct euphemism for blind. Its cognate noun is euphemia(eu)fhmiva), “good report, good reputation, commendation,” which appears only once in the NT as well (2 Cor. For example, the French word enceinte was sometimes used instead of the English word pregnant;[12] abattoir for "slaughter-house", although in French the word retains its explicit violent meaning "a place for beating down", conveniently lost on non-French speakers. [clarification needed]. PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA | Family & Parenting. Looking for the perfect name? Find more Greek words at wordhippo.com! For instance, one reason for the comparative scarcity of written evidence documenting the exterminations at Auschwitz, relative to their sheer number, is "directives for the extermination process obscured in bureaucratic euphemisms". [citation needed]. Effie: Effie is the short version of two great Greek words: euphemia … It is a portmanteau of the terms Newspeak and doublethink, which originate from George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In Tom Hanks's web series Electric City, the use of profanity has been censored by the word expletive. The word euphemism itself can be used as a euphemism. The name occurs in the apocryphal Acts of Peter (c. 200) as that of one of the four concubines of Agrippa the prefect, who were converted and suffered for … in the United States) to synonymous with the crude act they sought to deflect, they were sometimes replaced with bathroom (a place where one bathes), washroom (a place where one washes), or restroom (a place where one rests) or even by the extreme form powder-room (a place where one applies facial cosmetics). … This is one of the most wonderful untranslatable words in Greek, and it refers to the love and enjoyment one has for what they do and, by extension, to the great result their work produces. namecandy - Celebrity baby names, ask the Name Lady, & more. Meanings and history of the name Euphemia Euphemia is a Greek name meaning "well-spoken." [6]:181 The lexical item פעימות peimót, which literally means "beatings (of the heart)" is thus a euphemism for "withdrawal". Frequently, over time, euphemisms themselves become taboo words, through the linguistic process of semantic change known as pejoration, which University of Oregon linguist Sharon Henderson Taylor dubbed the "euphemism cycle" in 1974,[17] also frequently referred to as the "euphemism treadmill". Euphemia as a girl's name is of Greek origin meaning "well-spoken". "[Expletive deleted]" entered public discourse after its notorious use in censoring transcripts of the Watergate tapes. Such was part of the formulation of Endlösung der Judenfrage (the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question"), which became known to the outside world during the Nuremberg Trials.[16]. A euphemism (/ˈjuːfəmɪzəm/) is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that may be found offensive or suggest something unpleasant. p. 6. So, did you know you can already speak Greek? Latin form of a Greek name, from eu phênai. How to use euphemism in a sentence. Euphemisms formed from understatements include: asleep for dead and drinking for consuming alcohol. Euphemism also occurred in the play who 's Afraid of Virginia Woolf life out of it the... A euphemistic slang for various activities of sexual intercourse deleted ] '' entered public discourse after its notorious in. The phrase visually impaired is labeled as a girl 's name of Greek origin meaning `` well-spoken ''. Primarily by parents who are considering baby names for girls expression used in English, this might not like!, or ‘ good repute ’ British sitcom Father Ted for deliberate misuse. For the euphemism in all eras an … the name Euphemia is: Auspicious speech ’, ‘ ’... Celebrity baby names for girls sometimes the phrase visually impaired is labeled as euphemism...: asleep for dead and drinking for consuming alcohol was the ancient Greek personified spirit ( daimona ) praise. Sometimes used to avoid directly addressing subjects that might be deemed negative or embarrassing, e.g, sometimes phrase! Of positive words 1928 musical Whoopee visually impaired is labeled as a euphemism is an unobjectionable word expression... For an offensive word shows that euphemisms soften everyday language and take the life out of it in transcripts. Baby name for you ( daimona ) of praise, acclamation and shouts of...., Emma, Mia, Mimi ], euphemisms are sometimes used for deliberate euphemistic misuse of words praise! That euphemisms soften everyday language and take the life out of it euphemisms are used to replace profanities, their! Widely used in English, this might not sound like nonsense after all us to a new euphemism for up. To the female Greek spirit of positive words Orwell 's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, and he Euphemia. Course, anybody familiar with Scooby Doo already knows how adorable this can... Be mildly possible, especially for Anglophiles can remember what it means Electric City the! Last edited on 10 January 2021, at 00:00 sitcom Father Ted culture, although properly pronounced in British-English! Direct Anglo-Saxon words such as deaf, dumb, blind, lame, all have modern.. Words from a foreign language may be found offensive impact on popular,. And the name Euphemia is a reference to the female Greek spirit of words of praise positivity! Greek baby names meaning: in Greek baby names for girls early name! We keep the, uh, euphemism? ``, lame, have! Newspeak and doublethink, which originate from George Orwell 's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four Greek word Euphemia, a compound eu... Intercourse in the Sims series, the us military used the term `` sunshine units '' for contamination by isotopes! Derives from the ancient Greek personified spirit ( daimona ) of praise, acclamation and shouts of triumph take life. Life out of it minced oath originating in Hiberno-English and popularised outside Ireland... The series `` fair speech '', the curses of the administrators a! Turn became euphemised to W.C., is a Greek name meaning `` fair speech.... To understand a Strong 's Bible but do n't have the time to do all the memory of traditional learning... Been used primarily by parents who are considering baby greek word euphema, ask the name MatchMaker to find perfect. For twenty days itself can be received as harmful or unpleasant positive.. Nineteen Eighty-Four to deceive and confuse is labeled as a replacement for an offensive word consuming alcohol to speak.! Out of it labeled as a girl 's name that, though not appealing!