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It certainly is a euphemism, but to me, it is very like - possible quite - a "nominalisation."
This is a well-known device in newspaper writing, advertising and numerous other fields where a name is given to a concept, such as 'Human Rights' or Civil Liberty' that becomes so well used that no-ine thinks aboiut the actual menaing any more.
'Human Rights' can mean different things to different people, but we can all agree that humans have rights and that it is a "good thing" to defend them, even though one might mean that humans have the right not to be judicially murdered, whilst others think that humans have the right to be protected from murderers and rapists by hanging them.
(I'm not taking sides, here - just using an example! 'Liberty' is another very wooly nominalisation. - Liberty to do what??)
I'm immortal until proven otherwise
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted I can't remember the correct descriptive word EPHRAIM 07/31/12 05:23 AM Re: I can't remember the correct descriptive word BranShea 07/31/12 05:57 AM Re: I can't remember the correct descriptive word LukeJavan8 07/31/12 03:55 PM Re: I can't remember the correct descriptive word Candy 08/03/12 03:24 AM Re: I can't remember the correct descriptive word BranShea 08/07/12 10:13 AM Re: I can't remember the correct descriptive word TheFallibleFiend 08/08/12 04:02 PM Re: I can't remember the correct descriptive word Rhubarb Commando 08/17/12 05:23 PM
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