4. Language Change
Mechanisms Of Change — Quiz
Test your understanding of mechanisms of change with 5 practice questions.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the process of 'semantic amelioration'?
Question 2
The historical change where the Old English word '$\text{cnawan}$' (to know) lost its initial '$\text{c}$' sound, resulting in modern English '$\text{know}$', is an example of which type of sound change?
Question 3
Which of the following linguistic phenomena involves the reinterpretation of a word's morphological structure, often leading to a new word or grammatical form?
Question 4
The historical shift in the pronunciation of the '$\text{gh}$' in words like '$\text{light}$' and '$\text{night}$' from a velar fricative to silence is an example of which type of sound change?
Question 5
When a word's meaning becomes less specific over time, such as '$\text{dog}$' once referring to a specific breed but now to all canines, this is known as: