Daily Literary Quote
“Time changes all things; there is no reason why language should escape this universal law” - Ferdinand de Saussure Journal Prompt What are some (appropriate) English words whose meanings have changed over time? How do the earlier meanings compare with today's meanings? Why do you think language changes over time?
61 Comments
Cheyenne Ward
9/12/2019 10:39:41 am
Faggot is a word meaning a bundle if sticks and now it’s a word that’s mean used against people who are gay.
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Tamryn
9/12/2019 10:49:50 am
The word faggot has definitely took a turn for the worst. It’s sad that some thing that meant a bundle of stick can turn into such a horrible word.
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Destiny
9/12/2019 10:40:39 am
Gay- it was used a way to express their happiness. But now people only use it for their own sexual orientation or just as a name to call people just because.
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Dakota
9/12/2019 10:45:30 am
I feel like this is very true.
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Cheyenne
9/12/2019 10:47:20 am
I like the old meaning better than the new meaning.
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Owen
9/12/2019 10:50:07 am
That is very true.
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Loon
9/12/2019 10:50:38 am
Why do you think it changed?
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Sydnee
9/12/2019 10:40:54 am
I think that over time we become more simple and that means our language needs to be more simplistic and easier to understand.
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Taelyn
9/12/2019 10:41:20 am
Fantastic: fantastic used to mean conceived in imagination and now means extremely good. Flirt: flirt now means eye contact or mirroring another persons body language and used to mean a sharp movement.
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Destiny
9/12/2019 10:44:07 am
I didn’t know that meaning if fantastic but I like the old meaning better.
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Sydnee
9/12/2019 10:44:36 am
Couldn’t agree more
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Cole
9/12/2019 10:45:41 am
I agree that slang changes words
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Kelton
9/12/2019 10:45:53 am
I agree, slang is a dumbed down version for us to express something.
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Jacob
9/12/2019 10:48:26 am
I agree with your meaning of slang.
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Kelton
9/12/2019 10:42:26 am
Cheater has changed originally a word for a kings officer looking after his escheats. Furniture use to mean equipment. Meanings of words have changed to make it easier for new English to be easier to understand
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Taelyn
9/12/2019 10:43:45 am
I agree that words are changed to make English easier.
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Troy
9/12/2019 10:48:11 am
I agree that we words may have changed to be easier for us to understand
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Jacob
9/12/2019 10:49:23 am
I agree that they try to make it easier to understand.
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Riley
9/12/2019 10:50:02 am
That’s super interesting how we got the new definition of furniture from equipment.
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Kaleb
9/12/2019 10:43:03 am
Words seem to have had a deeper meaning, words would mean things that that seemingly not what you’d think
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Tamryn
9/12/2019 10:43:18 am
Flirt in the 1800’s actually meant like a sharp turn or sudden movement. Nowadays it means like playful trying to get somebody’s attention. Awhile ago, like a long while ago, “meat” was used to describe all solid food and then took a turn to mean animal flesh or any other flesh.
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Taelyn
9/12/2019 10:44:28 am
I like your choice of words you used.
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Dakota
9/12/2019 10:44:41 am
That’s really interesting I didn’t know that.
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Kelton
9/12/2019 10:44:53 am
I never knew flirt meant that back in the 1800’s.
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Tamryn
9/12/2019 10:46:11 am
Over time I believe that the words have become simpler. A lot less difficult to understand for the language of English has gotten a lot easier.
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Riley
9/12/2019 10:46:16 am
I have never heard of that it’s cool how much we derive meanings from words.
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Wylie
9/12/2019 10:47:14 am
I didn’t know that about meat
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Loon
9/12/2019 10:48:52 am
When did it change?
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Charlie
9/12/2019 10:53:47 am
I actually didn’t realize that meat had an older meaning.
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Dakota
9/12/2019 10:43:53 am
A word I feel that has changed throughout time is labor. Labor, I think in the old days is the black people getting beat to work and not get paid. Now days labor goes for everyone and not just blacks, and you get paid now.
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Dylan
9/12/2019 10:51:46 am
I like the word you used and agree that it has changed.
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Cole
9/12/2019 10:44:12 am
Language changes because we get more slang and people start using them in a different meaning. The earlier meanings are usually more formal then present meetings. Some words are bat and fair.
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Wylie
9/12/2019 10:46:38 am
I agree
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Cole
9/12/2019 10:47:43 am
Cool used to refer as the weather but now kids use it as like popular
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Riley
9/12/2019 10:44:23 am
I can’t think of any appropriate words, but I think language changes due to the way people’s mindsets change. We change because of the increase of knowledge we gains and along with this we have to come up with new meanings and words.
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Destiny
9/12/2019 10:47:59 am
I agree 100% it’s very true.
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Brayden
9/12/2019 10:49:42 am
I agree 100% with this.
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Dylan
9/12/2019 10:49:52 am
I agree that we change the words mostly to make speech easier and quicker.
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Owen
9/12/2019 10:51:09 am
Can’t agree more.
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Caleb
9/12/2019 10:51:31 am
Yes as time goes on people change and we create new thing and we give a new meaning to an old word or even a new one.
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Troy
9/12/2019 10:44:48 am
Awful used to mean in awe or wow far from its meaning of bad or ugly it means today. I think words change with technology and people evolving.
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I agree. I didn’t know this changed had accrued
9/12/2019 10:51:24 am
I agree. I didn’t know this changed had accrued.
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Tamryn
9/12/2019 10:51:54 am
I agree that words change with technology. We come up with “slang” as a dumb downed version of words and that can potentially change the meaning of that word.
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Caleb
9/12/2019 10:52:23 am
This is very true two meaning almost opposite of each other, and I agree technology has a huge effect on words
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Paul
9/12/2019 10:45:24 am
Cool used to mean cold but now days it means it’s impressive or interesting
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Sydnee
9/12/2019 10:46:43 am
Nice example
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Brayden
9/12/2019 10:46:02 am
Flirt
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Wylie
9/12/2019 10:46:23 am
I think gay is a big one that has changed. Meanings of words change overtime in my opinion because of teens. We change the meanings or add meanings
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Troy
9/12/2019 10:49:09 am
I agree we have added more meanings to words because it sounded good.
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Dylan
9/12/2019 10:46:52 am
The words good bye or just bye. These words originate from the phrase “god be with you”. This phrase is a formal farewell but now the word “bye” is an common informal farewell.
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Cheyenne
9/12/2019 10:51:02 am
Great choice to use it seems like the new meaning of goodbye doesn’t really have a meaning anymore except see you later or maybe tomorrow.
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Jacob
9/12/2019 10:47:02 am
Cute used to mean sharp or quick witted and now means attractive or charming. Flirt also used to mean a sudden sharp movement and now means to make eye contact or mirror someone’s body language. Words probably change meaning over time because they come out of date for other modern words.
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Brooke
9/12/2019 10:56:15 am
It’s crazy how the meaning of words have changed so much.
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Loon
9/12/2019 10:48:06 am
Clue used to mean a ball or yarn now it means a piece of evidence. Older meanings are completely different than today’s meanings. I think language adapts over time just like anything else.
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Tyrell Wortley
9/12/2019 10:48:37 am
One word that has changed is key. Key use to be what you called something that unlocks a gate or door. Now the word key applies to how many flats, sharps, or naturals are in a song.
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Owen
9/12/2019 10:49:15 am
The meaning of words have changed over time. The word tea can be just a drink but now a days it can also mean share what you know or tell the drama. I think social meadia has a big pull on what certain words mean because everyone has social media these day so it gets around fast.
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Caleb
9/12/2019 10:49:57 am
Dope has two meanings one being cool and the other is a drug. This changed over time with a new group and new culture. Another is icy which the literal meaning is ice buildup and another is to describe an outfit like looking good or stylish. I think these words meanings change due to what words we use to describe new things or give a new meaning to a word that isn’t used often,
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Charlie
9/12/2019 10:56:06 am
You could have an icy dress or outfit?
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Brooke
9/12/2019 10:57:46 am
It’s crazy how even today we have word with two meanings that we use depending on have we shape our sentence.
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Charlie
9/12/2019 10:50:32 am
Tea. The early meaning doesn’t have anything in common with the new meaning. The old meaning was something you drink and now it’s used for gossip. I think language changes over time because people find different ways to express.
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Brooke
9/12/2019 10:54:56 am
The word awful used to mean fear, terror or dead now it has a negative connection. I think the English language has changed so much because some of the words have lost there meaning for that generation so they give it a new meaning.
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