The Semantic Evolution of the French Language

ანოტაცია

The article examines the enrichment of a language's lexical component through the processes of narrowing, broadening, or revising the meanings of words, which contributes to the creation of new words. The change in the meaning of lexical units occurs in all languages as they evolve. Major semantic changes typically occur during specific periods of linguistic evolution, as seen in the example of French. The narrowing and broadening of word meanings are characteristic of the prehistoric period (3rd–8th centuries). The revision of word meanings is a continuous process, albeit a slow one. In 1789, during the French bourgeois revolution, this process gained particular significance. The works of poets and writers in the 15th–17th centuries contributed to the development of many lexical units with new metaphorical meanings.  In the 18th–19th centuries, the development of science and technology led to the creation of a new lexicon based on similarities or proximities. Broadening of word meanings occurs more frequently in nouns and verbs. The vocabulary of the church also contains many examples of words whose meanings have been narrowed or broadened, originating in Old or Middle French.

Metaphorization occurs at all stages of the development of French and is frequently used in the creation of scientific terminology. Scientific terms, through metaphorical usage, have entered popular literary language.  Cases of metonymy were very frequent during the evolution of the French lexicon. In the early stages of the language's development, there were instances of changes in the meanings of certain body parts.  Frequent examples of metonymy include the use of proper names to refer to objects, food, and qualities. Of course, the semantic development of the French lexicon continues today, with new terms emerging related to digital technologies and the Internet.