The Functional-Semantic Field of the Mental Deviation Subcategory as a Euphemistic Phenomenon

摘要

Deviation is a multidimensional category including technical, legal and juridical, moral and ethical, biological and some other subcategorial components. The analysis of the human aspect of mental deviation subcategory is carried out and its three constituent parts are determined. These are medical terms; words of everyday language, expressing various mental disorders and aberrations; words of everyday language, expressing the underdevelopment of mental capacities. The human aspect of mental deviation subcategory is rich in linguistic means which represent not only the essence of mental disorder or underdevelopment but also one's attitude to it. Every constituent part has its own core and a periphery zone composed of euphemisms, dysphemisms and slang words. Dysphemisms and most slang words include name-calling and any sort of derogatory comment directed towards others in order to insult them or to express one's distaste or contempt. Abnormal behavior and deviations from normal mental activity may be also presented nonverbally. Most of the words and expressions of the periphery zones are lingual units of dualistic nature; their nature is ambivalent from the point of view of situations, participants and their tolerant or hostile attitude to the situation and each other. In English, alongside the true dysphemisms and insulting slang words one can find a lot of trite words and expressions of dysphemistic and slang stock which lost their novelty. becoming stereotypes. Nevertheless they can provide patterns for the formation of new expressions representing stronger, more emotional negative attitudes.