language change features Flashcards
affixation
adding a prefix to an existing word
eg. ‘conform’
lexical innovation
using words we already know to form new ones
blending
taking parts of two existing words and putting them together
eg. ‘brexit’
clipping or abbreviating
removing parts of the word
eg. ‘exam’
conversion
a word changes class
eg. ‘email’ changed from noun to verb
compounding
combining two existing words
eg. ‘football’
reduplication
combining two similar sounds
eg. ‘walkie-talkie’
borrowing/loan words
new words are brought in from other languages
eg. ‘blitz’ from German
eponymisation
using someones name to form a word
eg. ‘to google’ after the search engine
neologisation
a completely new word is invented
eg. ‘Mx’ as a new pronoun
amelioration
a word gains a more positive meaning
eg. ‘dark’
bleaching
a word loses power
eg. ‘crap’
derogation
a word gets a worse meaning over time
eg. ‘spinster’
expansion
a words definition expands to cover more
eg. ‘bird’ used to refer to just small birds
metaphor and metonymy
a word/phrase becomes a metaphor or metonymy and so changes meanings
eg. ‘doghouse’
