TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Origin of PC terms From:Bill Burns <WBURNS -at- VAX -dot- MICRON -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 8 Jun 1995 08:23:06 MDT
Glenda Jeffrey writes:
>> I remember reading once that there is an evolutionary process for such
names [moving from a positive to a negative connotation].
I can't remember a specific name for the general process of shifting
connotations or definitions, but in my linguistics courses, we referred to
the process of a word shifting from positive to negative connotation as
pejoration. The inverse process (moving from negative to positive connotation)
we referred to as amelioration. We also used terms for terms that over time
took a broader or narrower definition although I can't remember these terms
at the moment. An example of this would the words "bread" and "loaf." Bread
originally referred to a piece of what we call bread. Loaf comes from
Old English "hlaf" which survives today as "loaf."
Anyone else remember a term for the general process of connotation or
definition shifting?
Bill Burns *
Assm. Technical Writer/Editor * LIBERTY, n. One of imagination's most
Micron Technology, Inc. * precious possessions.
Boise, ID *
WBURNS -at- VAX -dot- MICRON -dot- COM * Ambrose Bierce
