Language Change - Key Terminology 1 Flashcards
Inkhorn terms
Foreign borrowing into English considered unneccesary or overly pretentious.
E.g. encyclopedia, ingenious
External factors
External pressures will affect how language is used, either social, cultural or technological.
Internal factors
Aspects of the language itself contribute to change.
Pejoration
- A process whereby a word or phrase develops more negative connotations.
- E.g. cunning used to mean ‘knowledgable’
Neosemy
- The process whereby a new meaning develops for an existing word.
- E.g. ‘gay’ used to describe someone who was joyful, now it refers to someone who is homosexual.
Broadening
- The meaning of a word broadens so that it retains its old meaning but also takes on added meaning(s).
- E.g. the word ‘business’ used to mean someone who was busy, now it means any type of work or job.
Specialising/Narrowing
- The opposite of broadening - a word becomes more specific in meaning.
- E.g. ‘meat’ used to mean food in general, now it is specific to an animal product.
Amelioration
- Over time a word acquires a more pleasant or more positive, meaning.
- E.g. ‘sick’ and ‘wicked’
Weakening
- The loss or reduction of the force or meaning of a word.
- E.g. ‘awesome’, used to describe something that was capable of inspiring awe. Was often used to describe religious experiences.
Metaphor
Words acquire additional meanings as physical ideas are extended to abstract ideas with similar qualities, allowing abstract ideas to be more clearly understood.
Euphemism
The creation of polite, but roundabout, expressions for things that may be considered unpleasant.
E.g. ‘passed away’ for ‘died’
Polysemy
Words acquire many possible meanings, which coexist with the original.
**E.g. ‘get’ can mean to understand, become or procure
Standardisation
The process of bringing out a standard language.
E.g. Standard English
