Semantic Shifts: Terms with examples Flashcards
What is narrowing?
Is when a word refers to something more specific than the original denotation.
What is the first example that you can use?
The adjective ‘gay’ originally denoted someone who is carefree, light and frivolous but has narrowed to mean a homosexual man.
What is the second example that you can use?
Another example is meat, in Old English it originally denoted “food” but then narrowed to any food in the form of animal flesh.
What is broadening?
Is the opposite of narrowing, when a word is available to wider range of meanings.
What is the first example that you can use for broadening?
A popular example is the adverb ‘literally’ which used in the broader & informal sense rather it’s original denotation than such as in the sentence ‘I’m literally dead right now’ can mean ‘someone with an uncontrollable laughter’ rather than meaning no longer alive.
What is the second example that you can use for broadening?
Another example is the phrase ‘you guys’ or more simply ‘guys’ which broadened to a gender-neutral use not just to refer to men but women or a group of people.
What is amelioration?
Is when a word acquires a positive denotation than it once had.
What is the first example that you can use for amelioration?
An example is the adjective ‘sick’ which is now used as a slang among the youth to mean “cool”.
What is the second example that you can use for amelioration?
Another adjective is ‘nice’ in Old English it denoted someone who was ‘foolish, silly or ignorant’ but in the 1500s it became ameliorated to more a positive tone, to mean ‘kind, considerate; friendly’
What is pejoration?
Let me guess, the opposite of amelioration? You guessed it! It’s a word that once had a positive value but then acquired negative denotations.
What is the first example that you can use for pejoration?
With the example of the adjective gay; which has come to be used as slang to denote to label a situation or person as unpleasant, distasteful or bad.
What is the second example that you can use for pejoration?
An interesting example is the adjective ‘discreet’ which came to denote someone who is careful and cautious in order to keep something confidential, but is now being used as a euphemism to illicit sexual meetings in online dating. Additionally, the term has become is so pejorative that several online dating services has banned the term as it is being used by married persons ‘looking to fool around’ aka adultery.
What pejoration aka?
Pejoration can also be called semantic degradation or deteoration.
What is semantic reclamation?
The reclaiming of previously semantically derogative or pejorative terms terms by those labelled by them.
What is an example to support semantic reclamation?
Often used example is the adjective ‘slut’ which was used pejoratively as a slur to shame women and men who were sexually active, but now it has been reclaimed by fellow slutwalkers, who are standing to refute the idea one shouldn’t be ashamed of their sexuality or being sexually active. Nor should it invite judgement or violence.
