Linguo-cultural research on phraseological euphemisms representing prostitution (a case study of the Russian and Arabic languages)

The article discusses the euphemistic function of phraseological units representing the prostitution phenomenon in the Russian and Arabic languages from a linguo-cultural point of view. The paper provides comments on the culturally determined components of meaning, identifies national and cultural images and stereotypes assigned to phraseological euphemisms, highlights some general and nationally specific features of the Russian and Arabic pictures of the world. The topic of the present article is one of those tabooed but urgent from the standpoint of the culture of speech. Prostitution is a socially negative and immoral behavior, which is likely to be discussed in modern civilized society through the use of more acceptable and decent communicative replacements. Euphemistic words and phrases are caused in speech by moral and religious motives in order to disguise and cover up the terrible, shameful or odious sense of a statement. Phraseological units are an agreeable way to euphemize such cultural phenomena as prostitution due to their indefinite semantics and cultural connotation, reproducibility and stability in speech. They are capable of producing a refining effect, referring communicants to a wide cultural context and joint memory of stereotype-based information. Phraseological euphemisms derive their semantics not only from the linguistic but also from the national and cultural background, which plays an important role in revaluating such an abominable phenomenon as prostitution. The article presents a linguistic and cultural commentary on these euphemistic idiomatic phrases and expressions, provides a cultural interpretation of their components based on their associative perception, symbols, models and stereotypical meanings typical of the national culture, reveals the role of the cultural component of meaning in neutralizing or changing the negative assessment of the phenomenon in question. The research material includes various phraseological units taken from lexicographic sources, literary texts and media.