LINGUISTIC TABOOS CONCERNING DEATH AND BURIAL PRACTICES IN MODERN CHINESE

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of linguistic taboo as a universal mechanism of social control and communication regulation, emphasizing its role in reflecting cultural values and social norms. Taboo, being inherent in virtually all cultures, performs critical functions: regulatory (maintenance of order), communicative (adherence to etiquette), and cultural-identifying. Particular attention is focused on the manifestations of taboo in Chinese linguoculture, where it acquires specific forms, notably due to the influence of political censorship and the active use of euphemisms, homophones, and code designations to circumvent prohibitions. The key object of the study is the taboo nature of the concept of death in the Chinese language. Unlike, for example, Ukrainian culture, where death is perceived as a natural process, in China, the direct mention of death is strictly avoided. This is associated with a deep-seated fear of invoking misfortune and a philosophical vacuum regarding the afterlife left by Confucianism. An additional factor is the Confucian principle of filial piety, which views physical harm to the body as disrespect for ancestors. The purpose of the study is to identify and systematize the features of the functioning of taboo vocabulary related to death and burial realities in modern Chinese, and to reveal its linguocultural and sociopragmatic principles. Achieving this goal involves the following tasks: 1) to analyze the euphemistic, classificatory, and abusive (swear) lexico-semantic groups that denote death and burial realities in modern Chinese; 2) to reveal the sociocultural and linguistic mechanisms (particularly the influence of homophony and philosophical/ folk beliefs) that form the linguistic taboo around the concept of death in Chinese society. Research methods include theoretical analysis of scientific literature; functional analysis (clarifying the role of taboo in communication); and linguocultural analysis (identifying the influence of homophony and cultural concepts on language). Results. The study confirms that linguistic taboo is a universal and fundamental mechanism of social control and behavior regulation, reflecting deep cultural values and the limits of what is permissible. Although universal taboo domains (such as death or physiological functions) exist across all cultures, their specific content reveals significant national and cultural specificity. Specifically, in Chinese linguoculture, the concept of death is one of the most strictly tabooed topics, which is conditioned by both the Confucian principle of filial piety and the philosophical vacuum regarding the afterlife, which is filled by folk beliefs. At the linguistic level, this taboo is actively supported by the phenomenon of homophony, where words with identical sounds (e.g., the number 4) acquire a negative, forbidden connotation. This severity, however, stimulates high linguistic creativity, leading to the formation of an extensive system of euphemisms (metaphorical, status, and code designations) to circumvent prohibitions in polite communication. Paradoxically, tabooed vocabulary, while completely unacceptable for expressing sympathy, is actively used as a tool for aggression and invective, underscoring its dual pragmatic nature as a means of both social harmony and emotional outburst. Conclusions. Linguistic taboo is a universal means of social regulation, but its manifestations in the Chinese language have a deeply national specificity, shaped by Confucianism, which made the concept of death particularly strictly tabooed. The high level of homophony in Chinese acts as a key mechanism that supports and intensifies linguistic superstitions. Taboo stimulates linguistic creativity, leading to the formation of a wide layer of euphemisms and code substitutions to circumvent prohibitions, which indicates the flexibility of communicative strategies. A paradox is observed: a word forbidden in a polite context is actively used as an instrument of aggression, which points to the pragmatic, and not just magical, nature of taboo in speech.