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... >> Social Science >> Linguistics >> Semantic Derogation

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Semantic Derogation

• Definition: Meaning shift in which words take on more negative connotations or denotations. For example, the word mistress was once the female counterpart of mister but has taken on negative meanings not matched by its male counterpart.

  Source: American English, second edition by Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes