AICE Language Lexis Practice Exam

What is semantic shift? Provide an example of a word whose meaning has changed over time.

The spelling of a word changing over time. Change in meaning over time; example: awful meaning awe-inspiring; now terrible. The difference between denotation and connotation. A metaphor used to clarify.

Correct Answer:

Change in meaning over time; example: awful meaning awe-inspiring; now terrible.

Explanation:

Semantic shift is when a word’s sense changes as language evolves over time. For example, awful once meant something awe-inspiring or worthy of reverence, a positive sense. Today it typically means terrible or very bad. This kind of change shows how attitudes and usage shift the meaning attached to a word, sometimes moving toward the negative (pejoration) or the opposite (amelioration). The other ideas describe different linguistic phenomena: changing how a word is spelled relates to spelling/orthography rather than meaning; the distinction between denotation and connotation is about literal meaning versus associations, not how meanings drift over time; and using a metaphor is a figure of speech, not a historical shift in meaning.

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