The diversity of euphemistic command in English is worth studying if the aim of linguistics is to fully understand the human mind. It is clear that some euphemistic degrees are found among various command-expressions with semantic and syntactic differences although they bear the same message and usage. Euphemism is a generally innocuous expression used instead of offensive or unpleasant one. That is, the aim of euphemism is to alleviate hearers' offensive and unpleasant feelings of something, and the way of euphemism, to express those indirectly. Thus, degrees of euphemism from speakers' attitudes can not but be expressed in various indirect expressions. Syntactic differences show that euphemistic degrees are gradually raised or lowered in accordance with (in-)directness of expressing the same message: questions > statements > directives. And speakers' attitudes also produce the euphemistic degrees of tense and mood: past > present, and subjunctive > indicative > imperative, respectively.

• 박인진(부산외국어대학교)