Semantic Change

Question 1

Broadening

Answer 1

Also known as generalisation. When the original meaning expands to include the original but to also include others (holiday was holy day)

Question 2

Narrowing

Answer 2

Also known as specialisation. When a word becomes more specific in meaning. (Girl in the middle ages referred to young people in general)

Question 3

Amelioration

Answer 3

This occurs when the change gives a word a meaning that is more pleasant or positive. (pretty once meant wicked or sly but now means attractive)

Question 4

Pejoration

Answer 4

This occurs when the change gives a word a meaning that is more unpleasant or negative. (Silly meant happy or fortunate in the middle ages, now means absurd or having a lack of common sense)

Question 5

Weakening

Answer 5

When a word loses some of it’s original force or strength (Soon now means in the near future but it used to mean immediately)

Question 6

Through metaphor

Answer 6

Words acquire new meaning because they begin to be used as metaphors (this is frequently also broadening- multiple labels possible at once). (Up is happy, down is sad, “things are looking up”)

Question 7

Idioms

Answer 7

Everyday metaphors that are always formed from existing words. Often have “interesting” and “colourful” (sometimes just horrific) origins. (Drainage used to be so bad that when there was a big storm many cats and dogs drowned and so when the went back down the streets would be littered with their corpses- so it “rained cats and dogs”.

Question 8

Euphemisms

Answer 8

A mild or inoffensive way of describing something distasteful or unpleasant. They are constantly being invented. (in warfare if civilian casualties occur that is “collateral damage”)

Question 9

Political Correctness

Answer 9

There is a desire to replace words that are considered offensive or demeaning to disadvantaged or minority groups. (How is this not lexical change you ask me- the thingy I was told to use to make this list sure as shit wouldn’t now but my immediate theory is that sometimes it can change the meaning of the original word a little bit (i always saw fireman as a gender neutral word, now people maybe more used to firefighter so may see fireman as more gendered?)