Language Change

Flashcards covering concepts of lexical change, semantic change, and political correctness based on the lecture transcript.

Affixation

An umbrella term for prefix and suffix.

Compounding

The process of combining 2 words to create new words.

Blends

By joining the beginning of 1 word and the end of another to make a new word with a new meaning.

Conversion

The creation of a word class from an existing word (e.g., Google as a noun becoming the verb 'to google').

Abbreviation

Shortening words, such as 'adj' for adjective and 'advert' for advertisement.

Back formation

Shortened words created from longer words (e.g., 'babysit' from 'babysitter', 'obsess' from 'obsessive').

What is an example of initialism

FAQ = Frequently Asked Question.

Acronym

An abbreviation said like a word (e.g., NASA).

Broadening

When the meaning of a word broadens (e.g., 'Gay' meaning happy, and now also homosexual).

Narrowing

When a word becomes more specific in its meaning (e.g., 'Deer' used to refer to any 4 legged beast).

Amelioration

When a word gains a more positive meaning (e.g., 'Sick' meaning ill, but also cool).

Pejoration

When a word gains a more negative meaning (e.g., 'awful' originally meant full of awe).

Weakening

When a word loses its force over time (e.g., 'Soon' used to mean immediately, but now means in the near future).

Metonmy

Where the name of something is substituted by an attribute to the thing (e.g., 'Dish' used to refer to an entire plate of food).

Idiom

A group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning, different from the meaning of each word on its own (e.g., 'Over the moon' = happy).

Euphemism

An inoffensive way of describing something that could be perceived as offensive (e.g., 'Passed away' instead of 'died').

Political correctness

To replace words and expressions that demean minority groups (e.g., 'learning difficulty' has replaced 'mentally handicapped').