Reasons Why Language Changes
Reasons Why Language Changes
- Neosemy is the process where we begin to use words in different ways and therefore develop new meanings.
- Meanings can also shift completely e.g. fond. - meaning now is to like something or to be affectionate but it used to mean foolish or silly. It has ameliorated.
Processes of Neosemy
- Generalisation/Broadening
- Specialising/Narrowing
- Amelioration
- Pejoration
- Weakening/Bleaching
- Metaphor
- Euphemism
- Polysemy - words that acquire many possible meanings that coexist with the original.
What Affects Language Change
External factors:
- Cultural Changes
- Technological Innovation e.g. virus, bug, crash, windows
- Social Convention e.g. LGBT
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