Abbreviations as euphemisms

Joanna Kuć

Abstract

The article analyzes abbreviations as euphemisms in Polish language. The material comes mainly from the youth’s slang. There are three most important phenomena in contemporary abbreviations. First – new, unknown ones in Polish language like: KTM, SWP, PDD and others which weren’t noticed in dictionaries, second – known ones which are realized differently than previous, e.g.: PCK, DVD, SLD and third – words that are now abbreviations, but young people translate them different, e.g.: NOC – Nowo Odkryta Cecha, OPIS – Ostre Picie I Seks. As abbreviations these upper words are softening elements. Everybody hardly ever uses them in full expressions. It depends on some pragmatic circumstances, of course. The abbreviations are shown as euphemisms in contemporary Polish, because they replace vulgarisms and can function as softening elements.