The Semantic Drift Thread

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Imralu
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The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Imralu »

This thread is for anyone who's doing diachronics and not quite sure what to do with semantic drift. Basically, anyone like me. I'm having fun with sound changes and grammatical changes, but semantic changes are a bit more difficult for me. I've come up with a few changes that I'm happy with (for example "tiny">"small" ... "air">"sky">"outer space/universe" ..."try">grammatical particle indicating on-purposeness ... "work">"try") but there are a thousand other instances where I want some semantic drift to happen but I just can't think where it could go. I need some inspiration.

This thread might work a bit like the Lexicon Building thread. Each post should include a word for the next person to show an interesting pathway of semantic drift for, past to present and/or present to future, with or without exemples from your conlang.

I don't know how realistic these examples are, but anyway:
The first person wrote:Blah > blah > blah
Next word: "sky"
The second person wrote:light+fast > lightning > storm > weather > air > sky > outer space > darkness/night
Next word: "mountain"
The third person wrote:"climb"+"land" > "mountain" > "mountains of" + genitive > "a lot/much/many"
Next word: Blah
So, to start it off, can anyone think of a good past and/or future for a word meaning "give"?
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Yng »

You mean like this?
كان يا ما كان / يا صمت العشية / قمري هاجر في الصبح بعيدا / في العيون العسلية

tà yi póbo tsùtsùr ciivà dè!

short texts in Cuhbi

Risha Cuhbi grammar

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Imralu
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Imralu »

YngNghymru wrote:You mean like this?
Oh, yes. Pretty close. My bad. That looks more complicated than my idea. I tried to search for it but didn't find it under "semantic drift".
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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blank stare II
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by blank stare II »

YngNghymru wrote:You mean like this?
That thread must not exist anymore. Neither does the search function show any other threads dealing with the subject. I missed the last one, but semantic drift is a difficult area for me too, and probably others, so hopefully it's alright to bring this thread to the front.
So, to start it off, can anyone think of a good past and/or future for a word meaning "give"?
I'm going to say
yield > give > pay, e.g. a debt

Next word: naïve
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Åge Kruger
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Åge Kruger »

naïve --> honest --> advisor

Next: teddy bear
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Christopher Schröder »

teddy bear > cute fuzzy comfort object > anything which is comforting > something enjoyable > something one enjoys too much > obsession

Next: Leaf (of a plant)
"Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure."
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Risla »

Leaf > blade > weapon.

Next word: coconut.

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Christopher Schröder »

Coconut > coconut shavings > cake icing with conconut shavings > icing > soft candy which resembles icing > candy > glass bead

Next: Pencil
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Ollock »

stick > stylus > (+diminuitive) pencil > penis > penis (taboo) > idiot

(sorry, you have to admit it's logical)

Next word: kill
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by äreo »

swallow > eat > consume, waste > get rid of > kill > destroy, devastate > dominate > control > hold > have

next: river

Ascima mresa óscsma sáca psta numar cemea.
Cemea tae neasc ctá ms co ísbas Ascima.
Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho. Carho.

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Christopher Schröder »

channel > (+ augmentive) river > flowing water > water > sheet of water, lake, mere > stagnant water, water that does not move > puddle > mud > something generally dirty > dust > pollen
"Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure."
-Jane Austen, [i]Pride and Prejudice[/i]

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Lyhoko Leaci
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Lyhoko Leaci »

blank stare II wrote:
YngNghymru wrote:You mean like this?
That thread must not exist anymore. Neither does the search function show any other threads dealing with the subject. I missed the last one, but semantic drift is a difficult area for me too, and probably others, so hopefully it's alright to bring this thread to the front.
I copied down the results of that thread back when it existed:
semantic shift game.zip
(21.94 KiB) Downloaded 631 times
This might be missing the last shift or two, but nearly all, if not all, of the shifts that popped up in that game are compiled here. (in Excel document form)

And the next word, since there isn't one in the previous post...: leech
Zain pazitovcor, sio? Sio, tovcor.
You can't read that, right? Yes, it says that.
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Kvan
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Kvan »

Lyhoko Leaci wrote:
blank stare II wrote:
YngNghymru wrote:You mean like this?
That thread must not exist anymore. Neither does the search function show any other threads dealing with the subject. I missed the last one, but semantic drift is a difficult area for me too, and probably others, so hopefully it's alright to bring this thread to the front.
I copied down the results of that thread back when it existed:
semantic shift game.zip
This might be missing the last shift or two, but nearly all, if not all, of the shifts that popped up in that game are compiled here. (in Excel document form)

And the next word, since there isn't one in the previous post...: leech
leech > leeching/bleeding by leeches > remedy > poison > bitterness

clandestine
From:
Economic Left/Right: -7.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.69

To:
Economic Left/Right: -6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.33

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Rodlox »

Kvan wrote:clandestine
buried -> hidden -> clandestine -> known but not spoken -> paperwork

next word: jump
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Kvan »

Rodlox wrote:
Kvan wrote:clandestine
buried -> hidden -> clandestine -> known but not spoken -> paperwork

next word: jump
stumble --> rebound --> jump --> leaping (as in to attack) --> last ditch effort --> pyrrhic victory

Next Word:infinitessimal/itty-bitty/wicked-frickin'-small
From:
Economic Left/Right: -7.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.69

To:
Economic Left/Right: -6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.33

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Gojera »

infinitesimal > > a speck > a freckle > a mole > a burl > a crag or jutting rocky outcropping > a skerry

infinitesimal > micro- (meter) > a hairsbreadth > a single hair > a small patch of hair > human genitals

Next word: louse

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by joey »

Gojera wrote:Next word: louse
louse > itch on head > brain-teaser > question

Next word: intelligent
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Åge Kruger »

intelligent -> clever -> sly -> tricky -> fiddly

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Risla »

jewelery > necklace > necktie > noose > rope > string > shoelace

Next: disembowel.

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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Ollock »

Risla wrote:jewelery > necklace > necktie > noose > rope > string > shoelace

Next: disembowel.
split+body "disembowel" > decapitate > execute > kill > murder

Next word: lawyer
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Qwynegold »

rule (as in the rules of the game, or whatever) > everybody + rule (law) > law + man (lawyer) > clerk > corrupt

I don't have a word, so someone else can go.
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by joey »

no-word = silent > impassive > unhelpful > difficult > loathsome

Next word: poison
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Rodlox »

joey wrote:Next word: poison
beer -> bad beer (poorly made) -> poison -> doses -> medicine

beer -> bad beer (poorly made) -> poison -> barren -> void, vacant.


next word: (to) harry.
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by blank stare II »

Rodlox wrote: poison -> doses -> medicine
Nice.
next word: (to) harry.
Is that 'marry'?

Friend > of a pair(adj) > to become one of a pair(v) > to marry

Next word: competitor
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Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Post by Astraios »

blank stare II wrote:
next word: (to) harry.
Is that 'marry'?
No, it's harry.

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