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Part of
Historical Linguistics: A cognitive grammar introduction
Margaret E. Winters
[Not in series 227] 2020
► pp. 47–72

Chapter 3
Lexical change

Article outline
  • 1.Overview
  • 2.Etymology
    • 2.1Basic vocabulary
    • 2.2Coinage
    • 2.3Lexical loss
  • 3.The nature of meaning
  • 4.More general trends
    • 4.1Generalization (widening)
    • 4.2Narrowing
    • 4.3Meliorization
    • 4.4Pejoration
    • 4.5Shift
    • 4.6Metaphor
    • 4.7Metonymy
  • 5.Wider tendencies and causation
    • 5.1Root, epistemic, and speech act meaning
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Exercises
  • For further investigation
  • Notes