Euphemism and Dysphemism: Language Variation in Environmental News

Abstract

This study aims to identify the forms and functions of euphemisms and dysphemisms in environmental reporting in the mass media. Euphemism is the use of other words or forms to replace harsh or impolite words. Dysphemism is the use of language expressions with harsh, unpleasant, or impolite meanings, with the aim of satirizing or criticizing a condition. The data sources for this article are several discourses found in the mass media Mongabay.id. Mongabay.id is one of the mass media in Indonesia that specifically highlights environmental issues and the sustainability of ecosystems. This study aims to examine the function of the use of euphemisms and dysphemisms that are relevant and do not obscure the semantic meaning of the reported environmental conditions, thus this research falls within the realm of critical ecolinguistics. The type of research used in this study is descriptive qualitative research. Data collection techniques used listening and note-taking techniques. After recording the data, the researcher conducted data analysis techniques using data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The process of revealing the meaning of the obtained data was carried out using a lexical semantic approach. Based on the research results, there are forms of euphemism and dysphemism, namely in the form of words, phrases, and clauses. Dysphemisms found have a critical and satirical tone that serves to convey environmental problems as clearly as possible, while euphemisms are found in the form of polite expressions and seem to avoid lexicon with a harsh tone. Euphemism and dysphemism is intended to convey information with a certain expression. Euphemisms use polite words but tend to conceal the true nature of the situation, while dysphemisms use harsh words but are potentially offensive. The use of euphemisms and dysphemisms can obscure the intended meaning, especially if the reader doesn't have a thorough understanding of the word's definition and the context of the sentence.