Borrowing
Words that have been adopted/borrowed into English from other languages
Anglicised - when the spelling or pronunciation is changed to fit the English language
Neologism
A newly coined word or expression that enters mainstream language
e.g selfie, woke
Compounding
Blending
Eponym
Abbreviation
Includes:
Acronyms:
Initialisms
Clipping
Semantic change
The meaning of the word changes but the word itself stays the same
Why?
- Old meanings are forgotten
- new context for a word required a new meaning
- a particular social group may take ownership of a particular word and change its meaning
Amelioration
A word takes on a more positive meaning
e.g
guy used to be a grotesque man after Guy Fawkes
nice - foolish or silly
priest - old man
pretty - cunning or sly
Pejoration
A word takes on a more negative meaning
e.g
awful meant full of awe
silly meant blessed
hussy came from housewife
weakening
The / significance/ intensity of the definition of a word is weakened
e.g terribly/awfully can be a synonym for very
Semantic narrowing
The meaning of a word becomes more specific
e.g
meat meant all food
apple meant fruit
affection referred to any emotion
girl meant young person
Semantic broadening
The definition of a word becomes more broad
e.g a bead used to just refer to pray beads now is can refer to anything small and round
Metaphorical change
A word changes meaning because it’s used in a metaphor
Euphemism
A way of describing something in a more pleasant way
Idiom
An expression that can’t be understood through literal translations
e.g enough on my plate
