Meaning changes in English
Abstract: As other languages in the world, English changes as times goes by.
English formed and developed over many centuries into the form today. Studying
the changing principles of words of English would help us acquire further awareness
of English lexicon and do good to our language acquirement.
Key words: meaning changes types causes
1. Introduction
Vocabulary is the most unstable element of language as it is undergoing constant
changes both in content and form. Of course, some meanings remain much the same
for a long time because the referents to which they direct us do not change. Frequently,
an old form or words are pressed into new service when a new linguistic need is
felt. When a word loses its old meaning and comes to refer to something different,
the result is a change in word meaning. Change of meaning refers to the alternation of
Meaning changes in English1825123442
Abstract: As other languages in the world, English changes as times goes by. English formed and
developed over many centuries into the form today. Studying the changing principles of words
of English would help us acquire further awareness of English lexicon and do good to our
language acquirement.
Key words: meaning changes types causes
1. Introduction
Vocabulary is the most unstable element of language as it is undergoing constant changes both in
content and form. Of course, some meanings remain much the same for a long time because the
referents to which they direct us do not change. Frequently, an old form or words are pressed into
new service when a new linguistic need is felt. When a word loses its old meaning and comes to
refer to something different, the result is a change in word meaning. Change of meaning refers to
1 Chapter 9 Changes in word meaning
一.Cause of changes in word meaning
1. Historical cause: It often happens that thought a word retain its original form,its meaning has
changes because the object which it denotes（表示）has changed, this is the historical cause of
semantic change.
Pencil is from Latin word meaning—a little tail or a fine brush, like our chinese pen 毛笔， later,
when it was made of wood and graphite石墨， it was still called a “pencil”
2. Social cause: change in word meaning resulting from a constant verbal traffic between common
words and various technical words is referred to as social cause of semantic change
Hot and cold have changed their meaning in the field of politics, as in “cold war”,”hot war” and
“hot line”
3. Foreign influences : a particularly important cause of change of meaning in words has been the
1 Chapter 9 Changes in word meaning
一.Cause of changes in word meaning
1. Historical cause: It often happens that thought a word retain its original form,its meaning has
changes because the object which it denotes（表示）has changed, this is the historical cause of
semantic change.
Pencil is from Latin word meaning—a little tail or a fine brush, like our chinese pen 毛笔， later,
when it was made of wood and graphite石墨， it was still called a “pencil”
2. Social cause: change in word meaning resulting from a constant verbal traffic between common
words and various technical words is referred to as social cause of semantic change
Hot and cold have changed their meaning in the field of politics, as in “cold war”,”hot war” and
“hot line”
3. Foreign influences : a particularly important cause of change of meaning in words has been the
