Neosemy

• Amelioration

  Words becoming more socially acceptable

  • e.g. "brave" used to mean wild or savage
• Generalisation/Broadening


  Meaning of a word broadens - takes on an additional meaning as well as its old meaning

  • e.g. Holy day > Holiday
• Specialising/Narrowing

  Range of meanings is reduced so word can be used more appropriately in fewer contexts compared to before

  • e.g. 'mete' > 'meat'
• Pejoration


  word becomes less favourable

  • "Villain" > farm worker
  • "Hussy" > House wife
• Weakening/bleaching


  Reduction of the force meaning of a word - often happens with taboo language

  • e.g. "I'll get my shit together" - 'Shit' to 'Stuff'
• Metaphor


  Words acquire additional meaning as physical ideas with similar qualities
• Euphemisms 


  Creation of polite, roundabout expressions for things considered unpleasant > collateral damage
• Polysemy


  Words acquire many possible meanings which co-exist with original

  • "Milking it, good"
  • "Good" - defining quantity in context