Semantic Change Over time words change or shift

Semantic Change

Over time, words change or shift in their meaning and use in a range of ways and for a range of reasons.

Types of semantic change Broadening or extension or generalisation Here, a word comes to mean more than it did before Examples: dog, holiday, butcher, quarantine, sail, drive.

Types of semantic change Narrowing or specialisation Here, a word becomes more specialised in meaning, it is used more narrowly than before. Examples: meat, deer, hound, starve, token, reek, girl.

Types of semantic change Analogous or figurative formations Here, a word is used in a new way for a new thing or idea based on a principle of analogy or comparison. Examples: mouse, crane

Types of semantic change Pejoration Here, a word gains a sense of disapproval (it means something worse than it did before). Examples: villain, notorious

Types of semantic change Amelioration Here, a word gains a sense of approval (it means something better than it did before). Examples: mischief, naughty

Two related concepts Polysemy Words are used in a range of contexts having similar related meanings. Consider: head, table, chip.

Two related concepts Homonyms The distinction here is that the words look and sound the same, but are different words, unrelated semantically Consider: bear, bank, minute(? )

Two related concepts Of course, it is not always possible to decide with certainty whether a usage is a case of polysemy or homonyms!