PEJORATION
PEJORATION. A term in LINGUISTICS for the process of SEMANTIC CHANGE in which there is a depreciation or ‘downward’ shift in the meaning of a word, phrase, or lexeme: for example, Old English cnafa (boy: compare German Knabe) became Modern English knave someone dishonest; Latin villanus (a farm servant) became Middle English vilain/vilein (a serf with some rights of independence), then Modern English villain (a scoundrel, criminal). See MELIORATION.
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Modern English , MODERN ENGLISH, short form ModE, MnE. Also sometimes New English.
1. The third stage in the history and development of the ENGLISH language, c.1450 t… British English , BRITISH ENGLISH Short from BrE. The English language as used in Britain. The phrase contrasts with kinds of ENGLISH used elsewhere, and especially wi… Norse , NORSE Also Old Norse, Scandinavian, and (with particular reference to its use in England) DANISH. The SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES in an early, relatively… Old English , The Old English comprised those whose ancestors had settled in Ireland since the twelfth century. They preserved an English lifestyle, incorporating… anglicism , ANGLICIZE AmE & BrE, Anglicise AusE & BrE [with and without an initial capital].
1. To make (someone or something) English in nationality, culture, o… right, , YOGH. The LETTER ʒ, a loosely written form of the letter g in Old English script. In Middle English, it became a distinct letter, having the values /…
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PEJORATION