Shadows of Language: Revealing the Multifaceted Nature of Euphemistic Expressions in Biden’s Speeches

Abstract

In the field of political discourse, euphemistic expressions arise as a linguistic strategy. They are utilized by politicians to cleverly navigate the challenges of achieving their intended goals, such as promoting themselves or criticizing others. The present study delves into the neglected dimensions of euphemisms used by President Biden when he speaks about the local and global affairs. To do so, six carefully selected extracts from Biden’s speeches are examined drawing upon Burridge’s classification of linguistic features and functions of euphemistic expressions, van Dijk’s ideological square, Brown and Levinson’s negative politeness strategies, Grice’s conversational maxims, and French and Raven’s bases of power. The study unfolds significant emphasis on the positive ideological shifts under the current American leadership, contrasting them with the negative underpinnings of others. Accordingly, the function to talk up and inflate serves euphemistic expressions to function as a vehicle for projecting positive representations. Moreover, it is found that to reveal and inspire function is utilized for revealing truths and inspiring profound shifts in perception. Power bases lend legitimacy and authorize Biden to employ such linguistic choices, further amplifying the impact of his intended message.