Language 321 L12, C2

Practice activity (Answer key)

(30 minutes)

I View the loan words and American English video segments and ponder the issues of lexical
borrowing and semantic change presented in today’s readings. (10 minutes)

II Prepare the exercises below as directed. (20 minutes)

A) Advances in technology are making many of the following ideas obsolete. Identify their
meaning (look in a dictionary if necessary) and explain why they are no longer used.
1. typewriter 5. floppy disk
self-contained machine with keyboard large electromagnetic memory storage unit
for inserting block letters on a page used to record and enter data onto a computer

2. pager 6. phone booth

portable communications device that enclosed cabin containing public-access, landline
notifies user of missed phone calls phone that may be used for a small fee

3. phonograph 7. travel agent

machine for reproducing audio content person who assists others with their travel plans
engraved on records and amplify the sound by accessing flight availability and pricing data

4. photographic film 8. Mimeograph

light-sensitive material (usually a thin, a machine used to create graphic copies of a
plastic roll) placed in cameras to reproduce document by rolling a prepared carbon sheet over
visual impressions captured by the lens a drum saturated with fluid

B) The following words became official recently in the Merriam-Webster American English
dictionary. Define them, add 5 more new words & phrases that you know, and describe their
meaning.
Your list
1. fracking 6.
process of extracting oil or natural gas from the
ground by pumping fluid into shale stone

2. ginger 7.
a person with red hair (answers will vary)

3. safe space 8.
a place intended to be free of bias, conflict,
criticism, or potentially threatening actions,
ideas, or conversations
4. binge watch 9.
to watch a lot of your favorite movies or tv
programming in rapid succession

5. hashtag 10.
the # symbol used in social media networking to
signal a trending topic open for discussion

C) Describe how the following words have changed in meaning by comparing the earlier
definition with the sense they convey today.
1. guts (‘entrails’) 5. fowl (‘flying animal’)
‘courage’ (figurative) ‘poultry’ (narrowing)

2. vulgar (‘popular’) 6. jaw (‘cheek’)

obscene, offensive (degradation) ‘mandible’ (approximation)

3. manufacture (‘make by hand’) 7. pastor (‘shepherd’)

‘make by machine’ (inversion) ‘preacher’ (figurative)

4. doctor (‘teacher’) 8. notorious (‘famous’)

‘physician’ (narrowing) ‘infamous’ (inversion/degradation)

D) Try to guess from which languages English borrowed the following words and then look up
their origin at http://www.etymonline.com/
1. banana West African 5. Strudel German
2. skunk Native American 6. Kangaroo Aboriginal
3. aquatic Latin 7. Keel Scandinavian
4. khaki Persian 8. Robot Czech