ESP-4366

Published

2025-12-19

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 12 (2025): Publishing

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Qiao Jiang1, Durezza M. De Jesus-Basil

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Qiaojiang, & Durezza M. De Jesus-Basil. (2025). The interactive relationship between the semantic evolution of English euphemism and social psychological changes. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(12), ESP-4366. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i12.4366

The interactive relationship between the semantic evolution of English euphemism and social psychological changes

Qiaojiang

College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Cordilleras, Baguio City, 2600, Philippines.

Durezza M. De Jesus-Basil

Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Cordilleras, Baguio City, 2600, Philippines


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i12.4366


Keywords: English euphemisms; semantic evolution; social psychological transformation; interactive dynamics; linguistic social psychology; cognitive metaphor; language policy

Abstract

This study employs a mixed-methods research approach, constructing a diachronic corpus of English euphemisms from the 20th to 21st centuries (with a scale exceeding 5 million word tokens) to systematically examine the semantic evolution trajectories of euphemisms across five thematic domains—death, disease, disability, occupation, and gender—and their interactive relationship with sociopsychological changes. The research utilizes multiple methods including corpus linguistics, cognitive semantics, social attitude surveys, and discourse analysis, combined with Granger causality tests, cross-lagged correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling, revealing that euphemistic semantic evolution follows a cyclical pattern of "innovation-popularization-erosion-reinnovation," with euphemistic intensity declining by an average of 0.8-1.2 points per decade. The study finds that sociopsychological changes exert a dominant driving force on semantic evolution (path coefficient β=0.76, p<0.001), a conclusion supported by multiple lines of evidence: Granger causality tests show that changes in sociopsychological indicators temporally precede semantic changes in time series; cross-validation demonstrates that sociopsychological variables' explanatory power for semantic evolution (R²=0.852) significantly exceeds that of the reverse path (R²=0.717); and this dominant effect remains robust after controlling for confounding variables such as media influence and policy interventions. Factors including social taboo intensity, value transformation, and social movements drive euphemistic innovation through multidimensional mechanisms, but exhibit a 3-7 year time lag effect. This temporal discrepancy stems from three reasons: cognitive internalization requires time (converting new concepts into linguistic habits takes an average of 3.2 years), social diffusion exhibits gradation (the dissemination cycle from elite classes to the masses is approximately 4-5 years), and institutionalization processes are delayed (from policy formulation to full implementation averages a 5.8-year lag). Simultaneously, euphemisms exert a significant reverse shaping effect on sociopsychology (path coefficient β=0.58, p<0.01), influencing public attitudes by reconstructing cognitive frameworks and reducing topic taboo intensity. Language policy, media discourse, and educational practices play crucial mediating roles in the interactive process, with mediating effects accounting for 42.3%-58.7% of total effects. The interactive relationship exhibits nonlinear and dynamic characteristics, including inverted U-shaped effects, critical mass effects, and threshold effects. This study enriches the theoretical framework of linguistic social psychology, establishes a dynamic model of euphemistic semantic evolution, and provides theoretical support and practical guidance for cross-cultural communication, language teaching, and social policy formulation.

References

[1]. 1.Guo, M. Y. (2024). Compositional mechanisms and pragmatic analysis of English euphemisms within cross-cultural communication contexts. Journal of Shanxi Institute of Energy, 37(03), 45-47.

[2]. 2.Li, Y. (2023). Pragmatic functional analysis of English euphemisms from iconicity perspectives. Journal of Zhoukou Normal University, 40(03), 48-50+86.

[3]. 3.Zhu, X. X. (2022). Investigation of cultural implications and pragmatic operations in English euphemistic expressions. Journal of Liaoning Economic Vocational Technological Institute·Liaoning Economic Management Cadre Institute, (03), 62-64.

[4]. 4.Wang, Q. Q. (2021). Exploring convergence phenomena between English and Chinese euphemistic language. English Square, (25), 66-68.

[5]. 5.He, P. Y., & Long, L. (2020). Examining linguistic characteristics and exploring cultural connotations of English euphemisms. Overseas English, (24), 119-121.

[6]. 6.He, W. L. (2021). Examining euphemism application within collegiate English pedagogical contexts. English Square, (30), 35-37.

[7]. 7.Chen, G. Y. (2022). Euphemistic deployment within secondary English instructional evaluative language. Appreciation·Classics, (23), 53-54+158.

[8]. 8.Suo, P. J., & Sun, J. (2022). Euphemism deployment within business English correspondence. English Square, (10), 60-64.

[9]. 9.Alexandra, F., & Zijia, L. (2021). Evidence of support for dual language learners in a study of bilingual staffing patterns using the Classroom Assessment of Supports for Emergent Bilingual Acquisition (CASEBA). Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 54, 271-285.

[10]. 10.Liu, Z., Yang, H., & Wulff, S. (2025). Modeling the dative alternation in English early child language. Open Mind, 9, 1066-1097.

[11]. 11.Wang, H., & Luo, M. (2025). The application of story-based teaching method in English language teaching for young learners in a primary school. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research, 8(8), 143-149.

[12]. 12.He, X., Xie, T., Yang, J., et al. (2025). Research on the integration mechanism of English teaching and research in high schools in Guizhou Province: A case study of three schools based on machine learning analysis. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research, 8(8), 343-353.

[13]. 13.Shermatova, F., Totobayev, M., & Bahry, A. S. (2025). Language beliefs, attitudes and practices in contemporary Kyrgyzstan with particular reference to English. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2025(294), 99-123.

[14]. 14.Rojas, M. N., Gutierrez, D. K., Deulofeutt, R. S., et al. (2025). "We do speak Spanish … but I do have more expectations for English language skills": Teacher's classroom language ideologies and bilingual classroom practices in mainstream English-instruction early childhood education classrooms. Early Education and Development, 36(6), 1223-1246.

[15]. 15.Huang, T., Wu, C., & Wu, M. (2025). Developing pre-service language teachers' GenAI literacy: An interventional study in an English language teacher education course. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 5(1), 163-163. DOI:10.1007/S44163-025-00435-1.

[16]. 16.Gani, N. H. S., Selvaraj, V., Md I. S., et al. (2025). Revolutionising English language education: Empowering teachers with BERT-LSTM-driven pedagogical tools. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1327-1327.

[17]. 17.Mukundan, J., Geng, H., & Nimehchisalem, V. (2025). A narrative inquiry on the teachers' sense of plausibility of an experienced Malaysian English language teacher. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1334-1334.

[18]. 18.Alhamami, M. (2025). Burnout in healthcare education programs and English as a medium of instruction: The dark side of the language of instruction. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, 1619177-1619177.

[19]. 19.Arroyo, M. S., & Aguirre, M. N. (2025). NABE Project PARA TODOS and Project PARA NIÑOS: Expanding access to high‐quality professional development for teachers of English learners and dual language learners. TESOL Journal, 16(3), e70069-e70069.

[20]. 20.Xu, T., & Wang, S. (2025). On the acquisition of English complex predicates and complex word formation: Revisiting the parametric approach. Languages, 10(8), 201-201.

[21]. 21.Bampoe, O. J., Verdon, E. S., Hoffman, L., et al. (2025). Speech-language pathologists' perspectives on a prototype of the first Ghanaian-English speech and language assessment tool. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 1-13.

[22]. 22.Wargo, M. J., Giunco, K., & Smith, K. (2025). Making justice‐oriented futures from a censored past: Reanimating the racio‐religious specters haunting a research–practice partnership in English language arts. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(4), e70055-e70055.

[23]. 23.Zhang, H. X. (2020). Linguistic characteristics and cultural connotation analysis of English euphemisms. Overseas English, (22), 101-102.

[24]. 24.Arango, E. D., & Chavez, A. M. (2025). Racialized English language learning at the university: Rethinking educational practices in Bogotá. English Language Teaching, 18(9), 53-53.

[25]. 25.Chee, E. J. A., Szabo, Z. C., & Ambrose, S. (2025). Measuring emotion recognition through language: The development and validation of an English productive emotion vocabulary size test. Languages, 10(9), 204-204.

[26]. 26.Zhang, J., & Bao, Z. K. (2020). Pragmatic functions of English euphemisms and implications for cross-cultural communication. English Square, (32), 59-62.

[27]. 27.Xia, J., & Wang, B. (2020). Investigation of metaphorical mechanisms in English euphemisms from cognitive construal perspectives. Overseas English, (14), 6-7.

[28]. 28.Siegel, J. (2025). English medium instruction lecturer within-course linguistic evolution: Monitoring changes between STEM lectures. Applied Linguistics Review, 16(6), 2843-2870.

[29]. 29.Zahrani, A. A. A. (2025). Bridging the gap: Leveraging TikTok to improve English language proficiency among adult English language learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 15(11), 3696-3704.

[30]. 30.Doctoral students' perceptions of the English language proficiency completion criteria in Iran: Making a case for English for General Academic Purposes (EGAP). (2025). Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 17(5), 1869-1880.

[31]. 31.Li, X. F., & Kan, M. G. (2020). Analyzing English euphemisms from ecolinguistic perspectives. Journal of North China University of Science and Technology (Social Science Edition), 20(04), 109-113.

[32]. 32.Liu, H. X. (2020). Examining classification, functions and usage of euphemisms in journalistic English. Comparative Research on Cultural Innovation, 4(19), 161-163.

[33]. 33.German, M. G. (2025). The genesis of colonial American English phonology: Dialect mixture or koineization? Dialectologia et Geolinguistica, 33(1), 1-42.

[34]. 34.Jose, R., Samuel, C., Osamu, Y., et al. (2025). Abstract 4344937: The impact of English language proficiency on outcomes after cardiovascular surgery. Circulation, 152(Suppl_3), A4344937-A4344937.

[35]. 35.Srijana, M., Ushma, M., Mariah, M., et al. (2025). Abstract 4364556: Limited English proficiency is linked to gaps in cardiovascular follow-up and cardiac comorbidity capture. Circulation, 152(Suppl_3), A4364556-A4364556.

[36]. 36.Li, S. P., & Liu, Y. (2020). Application research on euphemisms in business English correspondence. English Square, (14), 52-55.

[37]. 37.Ennam, A. (2026). Translation and multilingual proficiency between pedagogy and ideology in higher education: The English alternative in a postcolonial French-tethered Morocco. International Journal of Educational Reform, 35(1), 183-206.

[38]. 38.Gao, H. (2025). Optimization method for academic English content based on generative adversarial networks and data augmentation. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 9, 100492-100492.

[39]. 39.Wang, M., Liang, N. H., Liu, Y., et al. (2025). Tangible progress: Employing visual metaphors and physical interfaces in AI-based English language learning. Big Data Research, 42, 100570-100570.

[40]. 40.Du, Y. (2020). Analyzing euphemism deployment in English interpretation. Communication Power Research, 4(11), 32-33.

[41]. 41.Dong, Y., & Jiao, F. J. (2020). Analyzing euphemism usage in English from politeness principle perspectives. International Public Relations, (02), 245-246.

[42]. 42.Sommerer, L., & Zehentner, E. (2025). Go to church or die in prison: PPs with bare institutional nouns in the history of English. Folia Linguistica, 59(s46-s1), 1-42.

[43]. 43.Johannsen, B. (2025). Xinyue Yao: The present perfect and the preterite in late modern and contemporary English—A corpus-based study of grammatical change. Folia Linguistica, 59(s46-s1), 289-293.

[44]. 44.Gao, Z. Y., & Liu, X. Q. (2019). Examining euphemism application in collegiate English pedagogy. Journal of Shanxi Radio & TV University, 24(03), 40-43.

[45]. 45.Hobbs, L., Carpendale, J., McKnight, L., et al. (2026). A framework of subject-specific expertise for out-of-field teachers: Translated for science and English. Teaching and Teacher Education, 169, 105262-105262.

[46]. 46.Fanego, T., Johnston, S., & Suárez, B. Z. (2025). Tracing the origins and grammaticalization path of Irish English habitual do V: An analysis of the 1641 depositions. Folia Linguistica, 59(s46-s1), 173-209.

[47]. 47.Inkoom, D., Baluwie, N. S., Akongyam, M., et al. (2025). Collaborative involvement in English language acquisition among family members: An investigation on early grade children in Cape Coast private basic schools, Ghana. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(8), 1396-1411.

[48]. 48.Yang, W. J. (2025). Pragmatic investigation of euphemisms under politeness principle framework based on English corpus. Modern English, (14), 96-99.

[49]. 49.Rufan, L., Amy, P., Dani, L., et al. (2021). Home literacy environment and existing knowledge mediate the link between socioeconomic status and language learning skills in dual language learners. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55, 1-14.

[50]. 50.Amy, W., & Sean, R. (2021). Spontaneous productions of infinitive clauses by English-speaking children with and without specific language impairment. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 35(1), 43-64.

[51]. 51.Wang, Y. X., & Ma, Y. F. (2025). Translation strategy research on English euphemisms from functional equivalence theoretical perspectives. Overseas English, (06), 36-38.

[52]. 52.Yan, L. L. (2024). Pragmatic investigation of Chinese-English euphemisms from cross-cultural communication perspectives. China National Expo, (21), 235-237.

[53]. 53.Rosal, M. B., & Permangil, F. J. (2025). Exploring the impact of collaborative learning environment and teacher instructional competence on English language learning among BSED students. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(8), 520-541.

[54]. 54.Bing, H. (2021). The evaluation method of English teaching efficiency based on language recognition technology. International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 31(1), 1-1.



21 Woodlands Close #02-10, Primz Bizhub,Postal 737854, Singapore

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com