Page 1 of 16 EUPHEMISM AS POLITENESS STRATEGY IN LANGUAGE CHANGE 1 ADEPOJU Babatunji Hezekiah Department of English, University of Lagos badepoju@unilag.edu.ng; adepojutunji2050@gmail.com Abstract This paper aims to appraise euphemism as an effective politeness strategy in communication. This is done, by extension, to justify the reason a lexical item is considered unacceptable in certain contexts. The data collected from news items on radio and television, daily newspapers and conversations over the last decade in Nigeria demonstrate that certain words are deliberately chosen to nullify those words that are considered uncomplimentary. Really, the use of euphemism oftentimes is a way to alter our perception of certain inconvenient truth and a tendency to avoid speaking directly about notions that are sensitive. However, it is not my intention to argue whether euphemism is good or bad, a sweet talk or deception, but to examine how relationships are sustained, free of mutual suspicion, via the employment of euphemism as a tool to make the other interlocutor feel important under the current situation. Although the shared knowledge of individuals involved in conversation may be unpleasant, a person that takes the turn in conversation has the capacity to save the situation by saving the face of them both through the employment of lexical items which do not only suppress unpleasantness but that are appropriate for the purpose. Keywords: Euphemism, Context (Situation & Culture), Politeness Strategy, Language change 1 Adepoju, B.H. (2016). Euphemism as Politeness Strategy in Language Change. Papers in English and Linguistics (PEL), a Journal of The Linguistics Association, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Vol. 17 (3&4) OAU Press 54-70.