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The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 10:19 pm
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"?

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 10:39 pm
by Yng
You mean like this?

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 11:10 pm
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".

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:15 am
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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:23 am
by Åge Kruger
naïve --> honest --> advisor

Next: teddy bear

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:49 am
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)

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:53 am
by Risla
Leaf > blade > weapon.

Next word: coconut.

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:55 am
by Christopher Schröder
Coconut > coconut shavings > cake icing with conconut shavings > icing > soft candy which resembles icing > candy > glass bead

Next: Pencil

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:53 am
by Ollock
stick > stylus > (+diminuitive) pencil > penis > penis (taboo) > idiot

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

Next word: kill

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:16 am
by äreo
swallow > eat > consume, waste > get rid of > kill > destroy, devastate > dominate > control > hold > have

next: river

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:36 am
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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:54 am
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 439 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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:29 am
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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:05 pm
by Rodlox
Kvan wrote:clandestine
buried -> hidden -> clandestine -> known but not spoken -> paperwork

next word: jump

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:11 pm
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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:05 pm
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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:42 pm
by joey
Gojera wrote:Next word: louse
louse > itch on head > brain-teaser > question

Next word: intelligent

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 1:52 am
by Åge Kruger
intelligent -> clever -> sly -> tricky -> fiddly

Necktie

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:42 am
by Risla
jewelery > necklace > necktie > noose > rope > string > shoelace

Next: disembowel.

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:09 am
by Ollock
Risla wrote:jewelery > necklace > necktie > noose > rope > string > shoelace

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

Next word: lawyer

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:21 am
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.

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:53 am
by joey
no-word = silent > impassive > unhelpful > difficult > loathsome

Next word: poison

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:58 am
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.

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:49 pm
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

Re: The Semantic Drift Thread

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:06 pm
by Astraios
blank stare II wrote:
next word: (to) harry.
Is that 'marry'?
No, it's harry.