Shift and Change of Meaning

04/20/23 aya/Semantics 1

SHIFT AND CHANGE OF MEANING

Semantics


Shift of Meaning It is the symptoms of broadening, narrowing,

connotating, and synthesizing meaning of a word in a semantic/lexical field.

In shift of meaning, the former referent is not changed or replaced but the former referent undergoes the broadening or narrowing of meaning

The examples are holiday, dog, meat, wife, etc.


Change of Meaning It means replacement of meaning of the

former referent For example, canggih, foya, gay


Factors contributing to shift and change of meaning

Each new generation has to find a way of using language of the previous generation

Vagueness/uncertainty of meaning Loss of motivation Structure of vocabulary is open


Causes of shift and change of meaning

Linguistic Historic

Creation/invention of new objects New ideas Concepts of science

Social Psychological

Taboo Influence of foreign Language


Amelioration and Pejoration

Ameliorative is taken from the word meliorat- which means better/to make better

Thus, amelioration is a linguistic process by which a word over a period of time grows more elevated in meaning and more positive.

Pejorative is taken from the word pejor- which means worse.

Thus, pejoration is a change over time in the meaning of a word so that it becomes less favorable or more negative. e.g. cunning

Examples of pejoration & amelioration 'Idiot' 'moron‘ 'Chav',

childaggressive teenagers (junivenile deliquency)

brave, before is "uncivilized" (cf. barbarous)

knight, before denoted "a male servant"

Fond (maybe related to fun) originally meant “foolish”

'Tree-hugger. chase up a tree ‘environmentalists


Shift and Change of Meaning

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