Abstract

This study analyzes the use of euphemism in the lexicon of immigration in the current Spanish political discourse, showing, on the one hand, its role in attracting the receiver and convincing them of things that may not be true to serve the speaker’s perspective and, on the other hand, its role in legitimizing the speaker’s speech to justify any action that may be taken later for or against immigrants. The study utilizes famous speeches by famous political Spanish figures such as José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the ex-president in the Congress of Deputies and the ex-president of the Board of Andalusia, Manuel Chaves. Immigration is one of the most critical issues in current Spanish politics. Politicians often publicly represent it as a burden to the national economy and resort to the use of euphemisms that reflect the connotative meaning of words used, conceal unpleasant meanings or facts that could damage their image, and win their audiences’ consent. This study has proven most efficient in political discourse analysis. It shows the level of diplomacy used by politicians in their public speeches. The study is original in its approach of combining the language mechanism of euphemism with political discourses. It analyzes how politicians resort to language manipulation and understatements to serve their own interests and goals.