Rechercher
Semantic narrowing
/səmˈantɪk nˈaɹəʊɪŋ/
/səmˈæntɪk nˈæɹoʊɪŋ/Semantic narrowing
01
rétrécissement sémantique, diminution sémantique
a process in language change where the meaning of a word becomes more specific or limited over time, often referring to a narrower subset of the original meaning
What is "semantic narrowing"?
Semantic narrowing is a process in language where a word's meaning becomes more specific over time. This occurs when a word that once had a broad meaning gradually comes to refer to a narrower set of concepts or objects. For example, the word "meat" used to refer to any type of food, but now it specifically refers to animal flesh. Semantic narrowing helps linguists understand how language evolves and how meanings can change based on cultural and social influences.
semantic narrowing
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