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TYPES AND FORMS OF EUPHEMISM USED IN MINANGKABAUNESE

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Kongres Internasional Masyarakat Linguistik Indonesia 2014

TYPES AND FORMS OF EUPHEMISM USED IN MINANGKABAUNESE

Rusdi Noor Rosa

Universitas Negeri Padang
rusdinoorrosa yahoo.com

1. Introduction
Language is a means of establishing as well as maintaining human‟s social relationship. In interpersonal
interaction, language users always avoid using words or any expressions which are likely to be unpleasant,
inappropriate or even embarrassing. In linguistic studies, such language is known as euphemism which
varies in forms and is used for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, the basic motive of using euphemisms is
for safe-ground interpersonal interaction. Fear, shame, and disgust are three principal factors motivating the
language users to euphemize their expressions. To behave politely, people tend to hide factors considered
sensitive or offensive that may lead to uncomfortable communication and eventually fail to establish their
relationship.
Nevertheless, the expressions that need euphemizing in one culture may not need to be euphemized in
another culture. For this reason, it is important to consider that culture influences the way people choose the
expressions in their communication. This leads us to regard euphemisms as products of social language and
embodiments of culture as well. The cultural characteristics euphemisms remind us that a certain familiarity
with the cultural background of euphemisms is essential to the decoding of euphemisms.
One of the uses of euphemisms influenced by culture can be seen in the written manuscript using local
language, such as folklores, novels, newspapers articles, etc. In Singgalang, a local newspaper in West
Sumatra, a special article known as palanta column provides written texts using a local language, i.e.
Minangkabaunese language. The title of this article “palanta” meaning “traditional coffee shop” reflects the
Minangkabaunese culture that is highly sociable. Sitting in palanta reflects the traditional Minangkabunese
activities in which they share ideas, provide suggestions, maintain the traditional culture, and sometimes
criticize the government policy. Undeniably, euphemisms are used in their conversation which may be
different from the ones used in other cultures.

2. Theoretical Review
A. Euphemism and Culture
Etymologically, euphemism is derived from a Greek language “eu” meaning “good” and “pheme” meaning
“speak” which can be defined as speaking with good words. Basically, the use of euphemisms is motivated
to avoid taboo words. From this simple definition, linguists develop the definition of euphemism in various
ways. Euphemism can be defined as an act of substituting an offensive or unpleasant word for a more
pleasant one, thereby veneering the truth by using kind words (Leech, 1981; Enright, 1985). Allan and
Burridge (1991) suggest a pragmatic approach towards understanding euphemisms which is simultaneously
both speaker-oriented and hearer-oriented. “A euphemism is used as an alternative to a dispreferred
expression in order to avoid possible loss of face, either one‟s own or, by giving offense, that of the
audience, or of some third party”. In other words, euphemism is a face saving mechanism which
emphasizes mutual cooperation in a conversation.
Euphemism is not far away from culture and even becomes a cultural identity. Cultural values emerged
through the use of euphemism is pointed out by Cabej (1978) who states that euphemisms used in local
languages serve as bridges that connect language with folklore. This idea is supported by Hysi (2011: 380),
“Euphemism is a linguistic phenomenon closely related to culture, tradition, mentality, social
community...” In accordance with a close relationship between euphemisms and culture, Hai-long (2008)
states that language and culture are two inseparable things. As an indispensable part of language,
euphemisms reflect cultural characteristics which can be found in daily interpersonal interaction. In short,
euphemisms are mirrors of culture.
Euphemism cannot exist without social culture with the evidence that expressions used in sensitive areas
tend to pick up negative connotations and be replaced by euphemisms. We are sensitive about death, so
“grave digger” (penggali kuburan) was replaced by “undertaker” (pengurus pemakaman), originally a
general word for someone who assumes a job or a mission (see Allen and Burridge, 1991).

B. Classification of Euphemisms
Euphemism can be classified into many categories according to different criteria, rules or principles. For
instance, euphemism can be divided into euphemism in the Middle Ages, euphemism in the Victorian Age,
euphemism in the twentieth century, and contemporary euphemism. In terms of the prevailing time,
whether it is long or short, euphemism can be divided into temporary euphemism and persistent
euphemism. In terms of meaning, euphemisms can be divided into positive euphemisms and negative
euphemisms (see Rawson, 1981; Ji-gang, 2005; GUO Qi, 2010). The last classification is used in the
euphemism analysis in this paper.
Positive euphemisms can also be called stylistic euphemisms or exaggerating euphemisms (see Rawson,
1981: 1). “The positive ones inflate and magnify, making the euphemized items seem altogether grander

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and more important than they really are”. In order to avoid thrill, to be polite or to achieve cooperation,
British and American people, especially contemporary Americans, prefer using the technique of
exaggeration to euphemize something unpleasant and embarrassing.
The positive euphemisms include the many fancy occupational titles, which save the egos of workers by
elevating their job status. For example, “exterminating engineers” for rat catchers, “beautician” for
“hairdressers”. In Indonesian, there exist occupational titles, for example, tukang sapu is called office boy
(both refer to a person whose job is sweeping or cleaning the office). Another example is the word dukun
which connotatively means negative as it is a person whose job is to do medication both physically and
mentally. This person gets his/her ability not through formal medical education, but through supernatural
power. This word is euphemized as paranormal which is sweeter sounding. People‟s ideology, values, and
their way of thinking have undergone a great changed, especially in showing respect for others. For
example, sanitary worker/street cleaner, hospital nurse and postman/mailman are often called
euphemistically environmental beautician, angle in white and messenger in green. Hence, it might be said
that quite a few positive euphemisms are doublespeak and cosmetic words. They usually appear in the
political, military and commercial vocabulary.
Negative euphemisms, on the other hand, deflate and diminish. They are defensive in nature, offsetting the
power of tabooed terms and otherwise eradicating from the language everything that people prefer not to
deal with directly. The negative euphemisms can be called traditional euphemisms or narrowing
euphemisms. They are extremely ancient, and closely connected with the taboos. A euphemism and its
corresponding taboo are in fact two faces of the same coin. They refer to the same thing though they have
different looks, the euphemism having a much more pleasant face than the taboo. In many cultures, it is
forbidden to pronounce the name of God. So there are euphemisms such as “Jeeze”, “Jeepers Creepers”, or
“Gee” for “Jesus", “Jesus Christ” or “Christ”, “goodness” for “God” or “My Gum” for “My God”. The
names of the tabooed subjects as the dead, and the animals that are hunted or feared, may also be
euphemized this way. In Northeast China, the bear is called “grandfather” by people and the tiger is alluded
to as the “cat” or “god of the mountain”. Some Chinese call “weasel” and “fox” as “weasel fairy” and “fox
fairy” respectively (See J-gang, 2005).

C. Forms of Euphemisms
In terms of its formation, euphemism is formed through phonetic, lexical, grammatical, and rhetorical
devices. See Hai-long (2008).

a. Phonetic Device
Euphemisms may be created by phonetic device – light reading and phonetic distortion. Light reading is a
popular way of euphemism which means that when you mean something that you have to mention, but you
are shy to mention it, usually you say it in a low voice. Phonetic distortion refers to the changing of a sound
in word for the purpose of euphemizing, which is more acceptable in English because its writing is
alphabetic. Usually crude or inauspicious words become acceptable by using these devices. Phonetic
distortion includes abbreviation, reduplication, distortion of pronunciation, etc. There are abbreviations like
“TB” for “tuberculosis”, “vamp” for “vampire”, “JC” for “Jesus Christ”, “WC” for “Water Closet”, “SOB”
for “son-of-a-bitch”, “BS” for “bullshit”, and so on. There is reduplication like “Pee-pee” or “Wee-wee” for
“piss”, and there are distortions of pronunciations like “Gripes” for “Christ”, “Gad” for “God" and so forth.

b. Lexical Device
It is permissible for speakers and writers of English to express almost any thought they wish, as long as the
more risqué parts of the discussion are rendered in another language. Rawson (1981: 8) proposed several
ways of using lexical device to produce euphemisms. First, employment of loan words to avoid mentioning
a tabooed term is an effective way of euphemizing. For English euphemism, the so-called “another
language” is usually French or Latin. In Indonesian language, the loan words usually come from English
and Arabic. The second way is by using substitution that is to replace the impolite or unspeakable words
with certain literally mild and pleasant words or expressions. So in English “be sent to the big houses” just
means “be sent to prison”, perhaps most of the prisons are “big houses”. The third way is by employing
vague words and expressions that can blur the undesirable yet explicit associations that taboo words arouse
and are therefore euphemistic. To avoid using the word “fat”, such words as “round”, “plump”, “stout”,
“well-fed”, “full”, “full-bodied”, “king-sized” and so on are employed in English. The fourth way is by
using stories from religious or literary works as many English euphemisms for “die” come from Bible, as
“go west”, “go to heaven”, “go to one‟s Maker”, “be with God”, “go the way of all flesh”, “return to dust”
and so on. And “hand in one‟s accounts”, “go to one‟s accounts” are both from the story “Day of
Judgment” in the Bible.

c. Grammatical Device
Grammar is another way to be euphemistic. Hai-long (2008) found two ways of euphemizing through
grammatical device: negation and ellipsis. Euphemism often consists in substituting a denial of the opposite
idea for a positive word as well as a sentence. Thus, to replace “I think it would be better for us to start off a

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little earlier tomorrow morning”, we may say “Wouldn‟t it be better for us to start off a little earlier
tomorrow morning?” Omission is a good way to avoid some unpleasant or taboo words. We can easily find
some examples in English and Chinese. “You had better take precautions” means you had better take
precautions against pregnancy. “Someone is out” is the vague expression of someone is out of work”.

d. Rhetorical Device
The use of rhetorical device in euphemisms can be divided into two: using periphrasis and using metaphors.
Periphrasis is the kind of wording that beats about the bush. Topics and terms that are too touchy to be dealt
with openly may be alluded to by this means. “Trousers” does not sound well, so “nether garments”
replaces it. Meanwhile, metaphor is an implied comparison between two objects (without the use of “like”
or “as”). For example, using “cherry” for “hymen” in English (“cherry” was once considered as poetic, but
is nowadays a vulgarism.)

3. Discussion
In terms of types, both positive and negative euphemisms are used in Minangkabaunese language found in
Palanta column. Positive euphemisms used in Palanta column are mostly motivated to avoid using
unpleasant expressions. One of the ways to perform positive euphemism is by stating the name of a
particular place like in (1)
(1) Yo, lah! Kok lah batambah jo nan labiah gadang masuak
yes if after add(passive) by who more big enter
ka Muaro dalam duo atau tigo hari ko
into muaro in two or three day this
„Sure! If there are more people coming into Muaro in the next two or three days.‟
The euphemism used in this sentence is the word Muaro which is a name of a place in Padang in which a
local prison is located. This word is used to euphemize the word “prison” which sounds unpleasant as it is a
place for arresting people who committed a crime. By using the word Muaro, the expression “coming into
Muaro” sounds more pleasant because it is common activities done by people such as coming into schools,
offices, etc. Other words in Minangkabaunese used to euphemize the word “prison” includes kandang
situmbin, hotel prodeo, bajarajak basi and tansi.
Another name of a place which is used as euphemism in Minangkabaunese is Gaduik as seen in (2).
(2) Lah patuik paja ko ka Gaduik nampaknyo mah
already proper person this to gaduik look
„It seems that this person deserves to go to Gaduik.‟
Gaduik is an area of Padang in which a local mental hospital is located. Suggested by its name, a mental
hospital is a place for the treatment of people with mental diseases who are not accepted to live in their
society. Saying someone is sent to a mental hospital sounds unpleasant especially when it is delivered to
people whose relatives are patients in the mental hospital.
Other positive euphemism in Minangkabaunese used in Palanta column includes bad attitudes which are
euphemized as the names of occupation. Study the following sentences.
(3) Nagari awak banyak tukang teori
country we(poss.) many handyman theory
„In our country there are many theorists.‟
(4) Pilkada juo mambukak caro baru dek sabagian urang
election also open way new by some people
di nagari ko, sarupo manjadi tim sukses tukang ota gai.
in country this like become team success handyman speech too
„The election also opens new ways by some people in this country, such as becoming a team member
for successful candidates, even becoming an orator.‟
The words theorists and orator in (3) and (4) are occupations done by some people. However, these words
do not mean as they actually mean. The word theorist that should mean a person whose job is creating as
well as developing theories based on their research projects, in (3), means a person who likes telling many
things without any single evidence. By using this word, the unpleasant meaning can be minimized, and the
word sounds more pleasant. Meanwhile in (4), the word orator, that is supposed to mean an expert in
delivering a speech, means a person who likes telling a lie, or a liar. Saying someone a liar can lead to an
unpleasant communication, but saying someone an orator as a replacement of a liar more accepted.
Negative euphemisms are generally used to avoid taboo words. However, taboo is a cultural term, certain
words are considered taboo in one culture, may not be taboo in other cultures. For example, the words
related to God are considered taboo in western cultures, but they are not in Minangkabaunese culture.
Taboo in Minangkabaunese is related to death, sensitive body organs, sexual activities, and a certain
animal. Look at the following sentence.
(5) Ratusan manusia kailangan angok dibueknyo.
thousands people lose breath make(passive)
„Thousands of people lose their breath because of it.‟

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The expression kailangan angok (lose their breath) is used to euphemize the word “death”. This word is
taboo since death is the unexpected event when a person leaves the world forever. In Minangkabaunese,
other words used to euphemize death include maningga, bakapeh muncuang, and lah pai.
Furthermore, sexual activities are also euphemized in Minangkabaunese like in (6).
(6) Bini kalau sadang datang bulan, ijan digauli jo
wife if while come moon not get along with too
“If your wife is in her menstrual period, don‟t get along with her.‟
The activity of “getting along with” is a usual activity done by people as social creatures. However, in (6)
the expression “getting along with” is used to euphemize the sexual activity of husband and wife which is
taboo to be delivered literally Therefore, in Minangkabaunese, this word is always euphemized. Other
expressions in Palanta column used to euphemize this activity are bacampua baua antaro laki-laki jo
padusi, sosoh, and bagalintin pintin.
Besides, a name of a certain animal is also euphemized in Minangkabaunese, Look at the following
sentence.
(7) Awak ambiak se contoh inyiak baling.
we take only example old people striped
„Let‟s take a striped old people as an example.‟
The expression inyiak balang literally translated as “striped old people” means a “tiger”. It is a carnivorous
animal which is wild and frightens not only other animals but also human. Many of this animal are found in
the area of Minangkabaunese, so saying its name is considered taboo. This is an interesting phenomenon
since it is one of the proves that there is a relationship between ecology and linguistics.
In terms of form, euphemisms in Minangkabaunese are formed in different ways. First, the formation
through phonetic device can be seen in the following sentences.
(8) Kasudahannyo basuo bagalintin pintin dek patugeh.
finally meet squeeze by officer
„Finally, the officers found them squeezing.‟
(9) ...harusmyo indak banyak lo cik minyaknyo
should not much too shit oil
„...they should not have too many illogical reasons.‟
In (8) and (9) there are two ways how euphemism is formed through phonetic device. In (8), the word
bagalintin pintin is formed through reduplication of the first set of sounds. While in (9), the euphemism is
formed by eliminating some sounds in a „real‟ word. The word cik is formed by eliminating the sounds /ir/
situated in the middle of the word “cirik” meaning “shit” in English. Another euphemism in
Minangkabaunese is also formed through blending such as in ancik which is a blending of angek (warm)
and cirik (shit).
Second, euphemism is formed through lexical device which is the most frequent way of forming
euphemisms in Minangkabaunese used in Palanta column. Some lexical items are formed by using a proper
noun, i.e. by taking the name of a certain area or place in which a euphemized word/term is located such as
Gaduik (mental hospital) and Muaro (prison). Another way is by using a loan word such as maksiat to
mean sinful activities. Besides, using substitution is a good way to form euphemism like in (10).
(10) Urang sasek bawo tu mah Lin!
people mistake bring that lin
That‟s people who brought it mistakenly, Lin!
The word sasek bawo is a compound word that substitutes the meaning of stealing. In fact, that person has
already stolen Lin‟s sandal; however, this expression is replaced by the expression “brought it mistakenly”.
Third, euphemism is formed through rhetorical device such as the use of metaphorical expression. Look at
the following sentence.
(11) Antah kok ado lo tungkek nan mambao rabah.
or if present also stick which bring collapse
„Or if there is a stick collapsing.‟
The word tungkek (stick) in sentence (11) does not mean a „real‟ stick. It is a metaphorical expression
referring to a person or a leader that he himself gives bad influence to a group of society he is leading.
Another use of rhetorical device is by using periphrasis through which topics and terms that are too touchy
to be dealt with openly may be alluded to. For example, the expression “aksi damai sambia basalam” is a
euphemism of “giving a bribe to the police officer for not being ticketed” which sounds too vulgar and too
offense.
Fourth, euphemism in Minangkabaunese is also formed through grammatical device. One of the ways is by
using ellipsis or omitting some words in a structure like in (12).
(12) Samakin banyak urang nan masuak.
more many people that enter
„More and more people come.‟
This sentence eliminates some of its elements. The elements deleted are the word ka (into) and panjaro
(prison), In daily speech, Minangkabaunese people intentionally omit some offensive words and
expressions, and hide some vulgar and impolite descriptions to achieve the desired effect.

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4. Conclusions
Euphemism, as a variation of language, is applied everywhere in all human societies and used in human
interactions. Euphemism is a cultural phenomenon which is determined by the norms, traditions, and ways
of life in every culture. Some expressions that need euphemizing in other cultures are accepted in
Minangkabaunese, and vice versa. In Minagkabaunese, negative euphemism is related to the expressions
which are taboo or vulgar to deliver, which is the basic motivation of creating euphemism. Meanwhile,
positive euphemisms are much related to the way how we choose the word which is more accepted or more
pleasant to be heard by others. In terms of its form, euphemism in Minangkabaunese is formed by using
four devices, namely phonetic device, lexical device, rhetorical device, and grammatical device.

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