Forms and usage of euphemism among the malay and iban communities in sarawak

Abstract

This study examines the aspect of politeness in the language used by the Sarawak Malays and Ibans residing in Kuching and Samarahan in Sarawak, specifically the uses of euphemism. The objectives of this study are to identify the forms of euphemism that exist and are used by the Malay and Iban speakers, and to investigate the extent of usage. The research data were obtained from questionnaires distributed to 50 respondents from each ethnic group. The questionnaire was adapted from Allan and Burridge’s (1991) selected domain of euphemism categorisation which includes domains on male and female, emotion, illness, death and fear of animals, and the supernatural. The results showed that the group below 40 years old among both the Sarawak Malay and Iban speakers mostly used a moderate amount of euphemisms. They could understand euphemisms that were indirect. This study has identified the forms of emphemisms and the extent of euphemism usage in both speech communities, as well as shown the richness of the cultural background of the Sarawak Malay and Iban languages.