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the word changed its meaning. Analysing the nature of semantic
change we seek to clarify the process of this change and describe
how various changes of meaning were brought about. Our aim in
investigating the results of semantic change is to find out what was
changed, i.e. we compare the resultant and the original meanings
and describe the difference between them mainly in terms of the
changes of the denotational components.
The factors accounting for semantic changes may be roughly
subdivided into two groups: a) extra-linguistic and b) linguistic
causes.
By extra-linguistic causes we mean various changes in the
life of the speech community, changes in economic and social
structure, changes in ideas, scientific concepts, way of life and
other spheres of human activities as reflected in word meanings.
Although objects, institutions, concepts, etc. change in the course
of time in many cases the soundform of the words which denote
them is retained but the meaning of the words is changed. The
word car, e.g., ultimately goes back to Latin carrus which meant ‘a
four-wheeled wagon’ (ME. carre) but now that other means of
transport are used it denotes ‘a motor-car’, ‘a railway carriage’ (in
the USA), ‘that portion of an airship, or balloon which is intended
to carry personnel, cargo or equipment’.
Some changes of meaning are due to what may be described
as purely linguistic causes, i.e. factors acting within the language
system. The commonest form which this influence takes is the so-
called ellipsis. In a phrase made up of two words one of these is
omitted and its meaning is transferred to its partner. The verb to
starve, e.g., in Old English (OE. steorfan) had the meaning ‘to die’
and was habitually used in collocation with the word hunger (ME.
sterven of hunger). Already in the 16th century the verb itself
acquired the meaning ‘to die of hunger’. Similar semantic changes
may be observed in Modern English when the meaning of one
word is transferred to another because they habitually occur
together in speech.

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