Semantic Change

Mary Angelica Q. dela Cruz MAE-LE

Semantics
-is the study of meaning

Change
to make the form, nature, content, future c ourse, etc., Of (something) different from what it is or fro m what it would be if left alone:

Semantic Change
Changes in meaning are as common as changes in form. Like the latter they can be internally or externally motivated. The equivalent to the paradigm in morphology is, in semantics, the word field in which words and their meanings stand in a network of relationships. The alteration of meaning occurs because words are constantly used and what is intended by speakers is not exactly the same each time. If a different intention for a word is shared by the speech community and becomes established in usage then a semantic change has occurred.

*The following graphs show two further cases of semantic shift in which the increase in the scope of one word is paralleled by the reduction in scope of a related word.

Gentle was borrowed in Middle English in the sense of born of a good-family, with a higher social standing. Later the sense courteous and then kind, mild in manners developed because these qualities were regarded as qualities of the upper classes. Lewd (Old English lwede) originally meant non-ecclesiastical, lay, then came to mean uneducated, unlearned from which it developed into vulgar, lower-class and then through bad-mannered, ignorant, to sexually insinuating.

Sophisticated meant unnatural, contaminated but now has the sense of urbane, discriminating. The word sophistry (from Old French sophistrie) still has its original meaning of specious, fallacious reasoning.
Artificial originally meant man-made, artful, skill fully constructed, compare artifice manmade construction. But by comparison with natural the word came to acquire a negative meaning because everything which is natural is regarded positively.

Nice (Latin nescius not knowing') is recorded from the 13th century in the sense of foolish, then it shifted to coy, shy and by the 16th century had the meaning fastidious, dainty, subtle from which by the 18th century the sense agreeable, delightful developed.

Fast (OE fste firm') later developed the meaning quick. The original sense is still seen in steadfast firm in position.

Silly (Old English slig happy, fortuitous') had by the 15th century the sense of deserving of pity and then developed to ignorant, feebleminded and later foolish.

Kinds of Semantic Change

1. SEMANTIC EXPANSION (BROADENING) -Here a word increases its range of meaning over time.
Old Meaning New Meaning

bird
barn aunt

Small fowl
Place to store barley Fathers sister

Any winged creature

Farm building for storage and shelter Father or mothers sister

2. SEMANTIC RESTRICTION (NARROWING) - This is the opposite to expansion.

Old Meaning New Meaning

hound
meat

Any dog
Any type of food

A hunting dog
Flesh of an animal/human An illness A domesticated bird

Any unfavorable disease state fowl Any bird

3. SEMANTIC DETERIORATION (PEJORATION) -A disapprovement in the meaning of a word.

Old Meaning
silly wench

New Meaning
foolish

Happy, prosperous
girl

Wanton woman, prostitute

4. SEMANTIC AMELIORATION -An improvement in the meaning of a word.

Old Meaning
Pretty Tricky, sly, cunning

New Meaning
attractive A special tile or position

Knight

boy

5. RISE OF METAPHORICAL USAGE -A very common semantic development is for literal expressions to acquire figurative usages.
Word Metaphorical meaning

Grasp

understand

yarn
high

story
On drugs

6. TRUNCATION (shortening/deleting) -An element is deleted without substitution. Developments in word formation often show this with some elements understood but not expressed:
Origin Miniskirt Documentary film/ Feature film
Eau de Cologne

Usual Usage mini

film cologne

7. WEAKENING

-Weakening of meaning frequently occurs. For example, our word soon used to mean immediately but now simply means in the near future

8. SEMANTIC SHIFT

-Semantic shift is a process in which a word loses its former meaning and takes on a new, but often related, meaning

Generalizations

about

semantic

change

BAD MEANINGS REPLACE GOOD MEANINGS Pejoration is more usual than amelioration, i.e there are more instances of words developing a negative meaning than the opposite case. MEANINGS TEND TO BECOME SUBJECTIVE The word feel originally meant only touch but has shifted to a general term referring to the sentiments of the speaker.

CURRENT SEMANTIC CHANGE Present-day English shows quite a number of semantic changes which consist of expansions, restrictions, ameliorations and deteriorations.
Students used to be an exclusive term for those studying at universities and other institutions of higher education. But more and more the term is also being used for pupils perhaps to attribute more adult status to those still at school.

Thank you
Charitas Cristi Urget Nos!!!