holiday (once just a ‘holy day’), dog (once just a breed of dog) The meaning of a word broadens so that it retains its old meaning by also takes on added meaning(s).
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specializing/narrowing
meat, wife – (see pretty much all egs on previous page really) The opposite of broadening – a word becomes more specific in meaning.
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amelioration
pretty (once ‘sly’), cool, wicked, bad, banging, sick (slang use) A word acquires a more pleasant or more positive meaning.
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pejoration
villain, notorious, cowboy. hussy, gay, woke, snowflake (these last 2 initial positive, but became negative?) The opposite of amelioration – a word becomes less favourable
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weakening/bleaching
soon (once ‘immediately’) thing, **** awesome, epic, super…. The loss or reduction of the force of meaning of a word.
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metaphor
hawks/doves, grasp, high, cuckooing, paywall Words acquire additional meanings as physical ideas are extended to abstract ideas.
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euphemism
collateral damage, friendly fire, downsizing The creation of polite, but roundabout, expressions for things that may be considered unpleasant.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
specializing/narrowing
Back
meat, wife – (see pretty much all egs on previous page really) The opposite of broadening – a word becomes more specific in meaning.
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