Euphemistic Representation of Death in Spanish: Cognitive Models and Sociocultural Aspects

Abstract

The study of the linguistic representation of tabooed concepts, particularly the concept of death, is a significant area of research in modern linguistics, as it provides insights into cultural codes, communication mechanisms, and the underlying attitudes of collective consciousness. Despite the interest toward the study of euphemization mechanisms in Spanish-speaking cultures, a comprehensive analysis of death nominations based on the integration of corpus data, native speaker surveys and contemporary cognitive theories had not been conducted previously. The aim of this work is to identify and systematize the main cognitive models underlying the euphemistic designations of death in Spanish. The study relies on the methodology of cognitive linguistics, including conceptual analysis, corpus analysis, and questionnaires to native speakers from seven Spanish-speaking countries. As a result of the analysis of a corpus of 212 units, some key metaphorical models (death as a journey, rest, loss) have been observed, the most productive of them are determined and their quantitative distribution is presented. The obtained data contribute to the development of the theory of linguistic conceptualization, expand the understanding of euphemization mechanisms, and can be used in the teaching of linguistic disciplines, intercultural communication,and translation practice.