A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE USAGE OF THE VERB ‘DIE’ IN ENGLISH AND JAPANESE

Abstract

 Euphemism is a linguistic phenomenon that mitigates crude or harsh expressions by employing
indirect substitutes. Death, and particularly the verb denoting “to die,” constitutes a common subject
of euphemistic study. This research compares euphemistic expressions involving the verb “to die” in
Japanese and English, examining contextual and semantic aspects through an integrated approach
combining semantics, linguistic culture, and contrastive analysis. The aim is to clarify how each language
handles expressions related to the verb “to die” across various contexts, thereby offering insights for
language learners and researchers in the field of euphemism, as well as contributing to applications in
translation and interpretation.