SHIFT AND CHANGE OF MEANING

Semantics

10/25/15

aya/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.

10/25/15

aya/Semantics

Change of Meaning

It means replacement of meaning of the

former referent
For example, canggih, foya, gay

10/25/15

aya/Semantics

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

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aya/Semantics

Causes of shift and change of meaning

Linguistic
Historic

Social
Psychological

Creation/invention of new objects

New ideas
Concepts of science

Taboo

Influence of foreign Language

10/25/15

aya/Semantics

Amelioration and Pejoration

Ameliorative is taken from the word melioratwhich 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
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aya/Semantics

Examples of pejoration & amelioration

'Idiot'
'moron
'Chav',
childaggressive
teenagers (junivenile
deliquency)

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aya/Semantics

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
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