Block, Upload, Automoderated users, edit
201
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 1:
Line 1: − A general trend, perhaps due to declining intelligence in culture, is for words to acquire a more literal meaning and lose their more abstract connotations. + + + − + + +
Devolution of language (view source)
Revision as of 20:41, February 4, 2009
, 20:41, February 4, 2009no edit summary
The '''devolution of language''' is the often-corrosive affect that culture, primarily entertainment, [[computer]]s, [[public school]]s, sports, and [[politics]], have on the meaning of words.
The '''devolution of language''' is the often-corrosive affect that culture, primarily entertainment, [[computer]]s, [[public school]]s, sports, and [[politics]], have on the meaning of words.
There are several modes of semantic change
* words acquire a more literal meaning and lose their more abstract connotations (narrowing)
* words acquire a more abstract meaning and lose their literal one (broadening) - so (to take an apposite example for this website) conservative" used to mean "opposed to any change", and now describes a system of political philosophy.
Some examples of devolution of language include:
These changes can take place via metaphor, metonymy, and similar processes.
Some examples include:
* "word" was once a more figurative term, as in "speech", but now has a more literal connotation partly due to its common usage in the familiar "word processor" product
* "word" was once a more figurative term, as in "speech", but now has a more literal connotation partly due to its common usage in the familiar "word processor" product