CHANGES

IN THE
MEANING
OF WORDS 
zainb abd al samad 
2010201
 TOPICS 
 Definition of changes in the meaning of words 
 Type of changes :
 Extension 
 Narrowing 
 Amelioration 
 Degeneration 
CHANGES IN THE MEANING
OF WORDS 
 words change all the time and over time, a process language experts describe as
“semantic shift,” semantics being the field of language concerned with meaning, change
in meaning is all around us, influenced by social, political, religious, economic and
technological forces. 
 When a word loses its old meaning and comes to refer to something different, the result is
a change in word meaning.
  • Change of meaning refers to the alternation of the meaning of existing words, as well
as the addition of new meaning to a particular word. 
  Changing word meaning has never ceased since the beginning of the language and will
continue in the future.
  • The changes in meaning are gradual, and words are not changed in a day. 
TYPE OF CHANGES :

Extension 

Narrowing 

Amelioration 

Degeneration
  Generalization of Meaning 
  It is a process by which a word which
originally had a specialized meaning has
now become generalized or has extended to
EXTENSION  cover a broader concept. 
 In historical semantics, this range
phenomenon is known as extension or
widening.
EXAMPLE  ORIGINAL  AFTER EXTENSION 

Allergy  Too sensitive of medicine , illness To strong dislike for some thing 

Bride  Young birding , bird  To birds in general , young and old alike 

Butcher  Someone who slew the goat Someone who slaughters,

cuts up and sells animals like sheep 

Companion  Someone who shares bread with  Someone who shares the load of your
professional work or joys and sorrows or the
boredom of your journey 

Go  Walk  Move from one place to another 

I can not go 
Example  Original  After extension 
Junk  To refer to old  and discarded ropes  Can used for anything that is considered
useless 
Rubbish  Rubble  Refers to anything that is worthless 
Sail  Of boat moved by the wind Steamship or ship propelled by a diesel engine 

Uncle  The mothers brother Not only for to one mother brother but also to
one father brother 
Virtue  manliness Vir , refers not only to the quality of manliness
but to good moral qualities in general 
  Narrowing of Meaning
  • It is a process by which a word of wide
meaning acquires a narrow or specialized
sense. In other words, a word which used to
NARROWING have a more general sense becomes restricted
  in its application and conveys a special
concept in present-day English.
 Narrowing; specialization; restriction
Undertaker  Helper someone  who Funeral undertaker 
undertook to do anything that
he was asked to do 

Science  knowledge Restricted sense of technical knowledge 

Corpse  Cors  , body  Only dead bodies 

Deor  Animal  Wild animals

Desert  Sandy area with no rain ,the Used only for those uninhabited places
verb desert means leave where there is little or no rain 
abandon 

Doctor  Used also for teacher, Someone who  specialized in medicine 

someone who was known
for his scholarship
Girl  Youth or maiden  Female children

Hund  Dogs To hunting dogs of particular breed 

Liquid  Liquid substance  Alcoholic drinks 

AMELIORATION 
 In linguistics, amelioration is the upgrading or elevation of a word's meaning, as when a word
with a negative sense develops a positive one. Also called melioration or elevation.
 Amelioration is less common than the opposite historical process, called pejoration.
 Amelioration is a type of semantic change that happens when a word’s meaning improves or
becomes more positive over time.
Angel  Messenger  God messenger 
Chancellor  Porter, secretary .  Person having the highest
A person stationed at the bar of a responsibility for finance 
low court 
Etymology  Stable boy  Policeman of that lowest rank 
Marshal  Servant who looked after horses Police officer who looks after a
particular area , highest officer of
the army or air force 

minister servant A person who is trained to preach,

to perform religious ceremonies, 
Nice  Foolish  Pleasant 
Paradise  Park, a garden  Heaven 
DEGENERATION 
 Degeneration is the process of a word's meaning turning more negative as time passes;
degeneration can also be called pejoration.
Carfity  Skillful  Cunning people 
Cunning  Learned people  Clever at deceiving other 
Can fa Boy , servant
lust  desire Desire for sex 
Notorious Known  Well known