Euphemism in Sherlock Serial TV Season 3 A Thesis Submitted to Faculty of Letters and Humanities in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Strata One (S1) BY LIYON AKBAR 1110026000066 ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS AND HUMANITY STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA 2014 ABSTRACT Liyon Akbar, Euphemism in Sherlock Serial TV Season 3. Thesis: English Letters Department, Letters and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University SyarifHidayatullah, Jakarta, 2014. This research is aimed at findingthe euphemismsused by John and Sherlock in Sherlock serial TV season 3 and explaining their meanings. The analysis of euphemism is conducted by using Rawson’s theory (1981) while the meaning is explained with Leech’s theory (1985) and Hyme’s Theory of context (as cited in Brown 1983). In conducting this research the writer usesqualitative method and descriptive analysis technique for data analysis. The data are collected by watchingall episodes of Sherlock season 3and taking notes of dialogues that might contain euphemismand then compiling them in one word file. After analyzing Sherlock serial TV season 3, the writer found three types of euphemism used by John, they are:indirection (3), abstraction (2), and circumlocution (2); and those euphemisms are classified into three typesof meaning; affective (5), conceptual (2), and social (1).The writer found four types of euphemism used by Sherlock, they are:indirection (4), abstraction (2), circumlocution (1), and borrowing (1); and those euphemisms are classified into three typesof meaning; affective (3), conceptual (3), social (2). i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, the writer would like to thank Allah SWT, the lord of the world for giving him the best guidance, br ightest lights and deepest mercy. The pour of blessing lead him to finish this thesis. Shalawat and salam always devoted to our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who has guided us from the darkness to enlightenment in theworld. The writer would like to express his gratitude for his advisors, Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M. Ed. and DhuhaHadiyansyah, M. Hum., who always giveinspirations, encourage ments, critiques, andsincere guidance for him in finishing thet hesis. The writer also would like to takethis opportunity for expressing his deep and since re gratitude and thankfulness to: 1. Prof. Dr. Oman Fathu rahman, M. Hum. , the Dean of Faculty of Letters andHumanities. 2. Drs. Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Head of English Letters Department. 3. ElveOktafiyani, M.Hum., the Secretary of English Letters Department. 4. All the lectures of English Letters Department for their valuable knowledge. 5. H is parents for their limitless support and endless love. 6. His friends for being there. v THE LIST OF TABLES Table 1: List of Types of Meanings… ………………………………………. 24 Table 2: Table of Euphemism………………………………………….......... 62 vi THE LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Encoding and Decoding…………………………………………… 18 Figure 2: Example of Collo cative Meaning………………………………….. 22 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………. i APPROVAL SHEET ……………………………………………………... ii LEGALIZATION… ……………………………………………………… iii DECLARATION. ........................................................................................ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ……………………………………………….... v THE LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................. iv THE LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................ i v i TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................... .................. viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION. ................. ........ ................................... 1 A. Background of the Study……….. ................................................. 1 B. Focus of the Study…...............................................……… …. .. 6 C. ResearchQ uestion. ..............................................….……… ..…... 6 D. Significance of the Study…...............................................…….. 6 E. Research Methodology…...............................................… .... .. 7 1. The Objectives of Research. ..................... ……………..... 7 2. The Method of Research. .................................................. 7 3. The T echnique of Data Analysis…........................ .......... 8 4. The Instrument o f the Research…......................……….. 9 F. Unit of Analysis. …………………............................................... 9 G. Place and Time….…………................................................…… 9 CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK…........... ............ ....… 01 A. Previous Research…....................................……………. 0 1 viii B. Euphemism… …....................................….……… ...........…...12 1. Definition of Euphemism. ....................... ............. ............. 12 2. Types of Euphemism…....................... ................... ......…. 14 a. Borrowing... …. ................ ............ ...................….. 14 b. Shortening…….............. ............ ......................….. 15 c. Abstraction…................ ............ ....................……. 15 d. Indirection….............. ............ ......................……. 16 e. Understatement…....... ............ .............................. 16 f. Circumlocutio n... ......... ............ ...........................… 17 C. Theory of Meaning……….. ............. .......... ........................….. 17 1. Semantics….. …........... ............ ........................... .…….... 17 2. Types of Meaning....... ....... ............ ............................…… 18 a. Conceptual Meaning…….............. ................. …. 18 b. Connotative Meaning…....... ............ .........… …. 19 c. SocialM eaning…........... ............ .......................... 02 d. Affective Meaning…................ …..................... 21 e. Reflected Meaning…. .............. ............ .....…..…... 21 f. Collocative Meaning……............ ............ ......… . 22 g. Thematic Meaning.…. ............... ............ ...... ........ 2 D. Context………............. …. ....................................……..…. 24 CHAPTER IIIR ESEARCH FINDINGS……… .... ............................... 6 2 A. Data Description…... ................................ .......... .....… .…...... 26 B. Data Analysis….. .…............................ .......... .........…..……….. 27 CHAPTER IV CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION….............…... 9 4 ix A. Conclusions… …....................................…..………...........…. 49 B. Suggestions…..……. .....................................……... ..........…. 49 BIBLIOGRAPHY….. …...........…..……..……..………..…. ............….... 51 APPENDIX….. …...........…..……..……..……..……..…. ...... .......… ... 53 x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study H umans are social creatures because we cannot live without other humans. That is why it is important for us to maintain our social relationship with other humans. One basic way to socialize and maintain our relation is through language, a very important tool in humans’ life. Language plays a great role in our life, for we cannot live without it. We use language in order to communicate with each other, to give or to get information, to interact with other humans, and also to express thoughts. W hen speaking to other people, we often choose carefully the words that we want to say because sometimes there are certain words, in certain situations that we cannot speak about or taboo. Taboo is “t he prohibition or avoidance in any society of behavior believed to eb harmful to its members in that it would cause them anxiety, embarrassment, or shame.” 1 These words “are not to talk about, not because they cannot be, but because ‘people don’t talk about those things.”2 Then, how do we talk about the things that we are no t supposed to talk about? This is when euphemism takes part . If we imagine taboo words as poison then it is safe to assume that euphemism is their antidote. When taboo words are spoken, it ca n be, as quoted from Wardhaugh before, harmful. However, if we t alk about them in a euphemistic way, their 1 Ronald Wardhaugh, A n Introduction to Sociolinguistics 5th ed. (O xford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006), p. 239 2 Ibid., p. 238 1 2 poisons become ineffective. Euphemism, generally speaking, is the way to talk about things considered taboo in an acceptable way, so we can safely talk about them without being frowned upon by society. In this modern era where we can easily share our thoughts in social media, euphemism becomes more and more important to study. Everything that we tweet on Twitter, and everything that we post in our Facebook page can be accessed by all eyes around the world. Just because we have the rights of free speech, it does not mean we can talk anything we like without having any consequences, instead we need to be extra careful in using our rights of free speech. If we, somehow, write something that some people considered offensive or insulting, they can sue us, and it is not possible that we spent our time in prison “just” because of the things that we write on our personal page on the internet. T he main purpose of euphemism is to soften the taboo expression, but the reason behind its usa ge and its meaning is different depending on context. T his is what makes the analysis of euphemism becomes interesting. For example, when talking to lecturer, students use euphemism not only to avoid using taboo expression but also to prevent triggering anger of the lecturer . eW need to watch our language when talking to people