Exploring how a word's meaning can change over time
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the meanings of words can change over time.
Key learning points
- Weakening is when a word is overused and loses the strength of its meaning
- Intensification is when a word acquires a stronger meaning over time
- Amelioration is when a word acquires a certain, more pleasurable meaning than it once had
- Pejoration is when a word acquires negative connotations that it did not have before
Keywords
Weakening - When a word is overused and its meaning is altered this is called weakening.
Intensification - When a word acquires a stronger meaning than it had before this is called intensification.
Amelioration - Amelioration is when a word acquires pleasant connotations that it didn’t have before.
Pejoration - Pejoration is when a word acquires negative connotations that it didn’t have before.
Superlative - A superlative shows the highest or lowest quality of something. e.g 'best' or 'greatest'.
Common misconception
That the process of amelioration and pejoration mean a word completely changes its meaning.
Pejoration and amelioration refer to a word becoming more negative/positive and this does not mean the word completely changes its meaning.
Teacher tip
This lesson presents lots of great discussion opportunities for words that students over-use or use for exaggeration which are now quite different from their original meaning e.g. 'literally'. 'incredibly', 'genius'.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In which language was the Lord's Prayer first said?
Q2.Order these texts chronologically from the first appearance of the Lord's Prayer to the most recent.
Q3.Which of the below is an example of a superlative?
Q4.Which of the below is the definition of superlative?
Q5.What is being described here: 'shortened forms of words and phrases that convey the same meaning in fewer words (e.g. ‘Tbc’ instead of ‘To be continued’)?
Q6.If something occurs across generations then it can be described as ....
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When a word's meaning grows less intense over time this is known as word ....
Q2.Match the key terms to their correct definitions.
when a word acquires a more negative meaning
a process when a word acquires a more pleasant meaning
when a word gains a stronger meaning than it had before
Q3.The word 'stunning' used to mean 'capable of rendering someone unconscious' but now means something impressive or attractive. This is an example of...
Q4.The word 'knight' used to mean a small boy or servant but now refers to a brave warrior known for their honour and nobility. This is an example of...
Q5.Which of the below best explains how the word 'geek' has ameliorated?
Q6.Which of the below best explains how the word 'notorious' has undergone word pejoration?
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Exploring how a word's meaning can change over time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Exploring how a word's meaning can change over time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the A history of language unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.