Political euphemisms in Tshivenḓa: a sociopragmatic analysis

Abstract

This article explores various political euphemisms in Tshivenḓa that politicians deploy in daily social interactions. Politicians use political euphemisms strategically to control the flow of information. Politicians and others employ these euphemisms to conceal unpleasant realities and shape public perception in discussions about social issues. Thus, their primary social functions include concealing and persuading. They avoid making offensive statements by substituting terms that carry offensive connotations with more comforting language. Politeness theory was utilised to investigate strategies to form political euphemisms in Tshivenḓa. The study was conducted in the Vhembe District Municipality, in Limpopo province. The data was gathered via document analysis, field notes, and structured face-to-face interviews. A qualitative research methodology was employed in this study, as the focus was on the words and phrases uttered by the participants. This article is premised on a descriptive qualitative research design and has utilised interviews and observations as the primary sources in gathering data. The article asserts that political euphemisms serve to conceal the truth, enabling authoritarian actions, shaping people’s moral compass, influencing their perception of reality, and ultimately succeeding in persuading them.