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Temat: Semantics

In Languages, words often change meanings. In a book published in 1962 titled "Semantics: An Introduction to the Science of Meaning"
Stephen Ullmann lists five main causes:
1. Historical
2. Social
3. Psychological
4. Foreign Influences
5. Need for a new name

I figured it would be sort of fun and maybe even a bit educational to start a thread in which we could share some of those words, maybe even do a bit of a research of our own.

Let me start

Mouse - until late 60's this word described a furry, cute little pest, technological advances created a need for this word to describe something neither furry nor cute, something that you are probably holding in the palm of your hand right now.
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Temat: Semantics

Yes, I think that the Polish word 'myszka' can cause confusion too.

I'll get in quick with an easy one - gay.
"Oooh, the sun is shining, we have 4 days off work, I've just had a cup of coffee and as a result of all this, I'm feeling gay"
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Temat: Semantics

I'll go for urinal - no longer a place where you keep water for inspection. Unless it's water that's passed through yuor kidneys.
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Temat: Semantics

Tatiana S.:
I'll go for urinal - no longer a place where you keep water for inspection. Unless it's water that's passed through yuor kidneys.


eh? Surely the fact it has 'urine' built into the word means that it has always been connected with .... urine.
Have you taken your set of 26 Oxford English dictionaries with you to the mountains to be able to find such obscure definitions? :PSteven H. edytował(a) ten post dnia 01.05.08 o godzinie 09:43
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Temat: Semantics

Gross = 144, a total amount (before deductions)

Now it is an exclamation of disgust - "Hey mom, this pork in jelly is gross!"

Has it come about with people confusing the word with 'grotesque' which perhaps more closely conveys a feeling of disgust?
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Temat: Semantics

Bully - when it first came around, it was a term of endearment like sweetheart or darling.
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Temat: Semantics

Was told that by a professor at college. And yes, i'm fond of my set of dictionaries. :-)
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Temat: Semantics

Tatiana S.:
Was told that by a professor at college. And yes, i'm fond of my set of dictionaries. :-)

Maybe he was 'taking the piss' ;)
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Keith Byrne

Keith Byrne Director, Select
Training Solutions

Temat: Semantics

Virtually any word which means "pleasing" has a different original meaning - ace, brilliant, cool, wicked, etc.

When Sir Christopher Wren finished St. Paul's Cathedral, Queen Anne is said to have proclaimed it "awful, artificial and amusing." She was paying a great compliment, meaning it was "awe-inspiring, artistic, and astonishing."
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Temat: Semantics

I believe in Shakespeare's time 'naughty' meant something like 'evil'.
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Sylwia Łubkowska

Sylwia Łubkowska Nauczyciel oraz
tłumacz j.
angielskiego

Temat: Semantics

And nobody's mentioned 'intercourse' so far... :D
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Temat: Semantics

Well, actually, I associate "pissing" with "It's pissing again" (raining again). From now on I will also use "to urinate".
"It's urinating again" sounds nice to me.
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Temat: Semantics

In Shakespeare's time 'a rival' meant 'a partner' and 'quick' meant 'alive'.Wendy Tweed edytował(a) ten post dnia 02.05.08 o godzinie 00:05
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Temat: Semantics

Wendy, were you asked to change your picture by the GL management?
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Alicja Efejska

Alicja Efejska Lektor, PEN

Temat: Semantics

And nobody's mentioned..

4. foreign influences

INSTRUMENTALIZATION :))
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Temat: Semantics

No, they just removed the painting (copyright!!!)
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Temat: Semantics

Alicja Efejska:
And nobody's mentioned..

4. foreign influences

INSTRUMENTALIZATION :))

Yeah, but that was never an English word outside pani O's imagination.
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Temat: Semantics

Alicja Efejska:
And nobody's mentioned..

4. foreign influences

INSTRUMENTALIZATION :))

The word has been used very accurately by Joj in one of his posts so we may conclude that it is already in common use.
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Temat: Semantics

Recently I have been doing some 'research' into one bad word, namely 'a quim'. Apologies if it's really bad.
Have found only two books so far where the word is used - one is "The Canterbury Tales" and the other is "The Tropic of Capricorn" by Henry Miller. Do people still use the word?Wendy Tweed edytował(a) ten post dnia 02.05.08 o godzinie 00:23
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Temat: Semantics

Wendy Tweed:
Recently I have been doing some 'research' into one bad word, namely 'a quim'. Apologies if it's really bad.
Have found only two books so far where the word is used - one is "The Canterbury Tales" and the other is "The Tropic of Capricorn" by Henry Miller. Do people still use the word?Wendy Tweed edytował(a) ten post dnia 02.05.08 o godzinie 00:23

As far as I'm aware, no.
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