DEFINITION of PEJORATION and AMELIORATION | Peyorasi dan Ameliorasi - After several of time, in the middle of my focus on Semantic Understanding, we then move to the Changes in Meaning. Just want to remind you that I have posted articles about TYPES OF MEANING and its branches here include their own elaboration. And I have also introduced to you kinds of Changes in meaning here, So at this point, I begin to explain as much as I know one of the changes in meaning (not one actually, but two. In case of comparison, I explain them in one part).
A. Pejoration (Perburukan Makna)
Pejoration is the process by means of a word assumes degradation of meaning (Satu kata yang selain bermakna literal atau makna sesuai dengan yang tertera di dalam kamus, juga mengalami degradasi atau perburukan makna).
For Examples:
1. Secretary
Literal : According to Cambridge Advance Learner’s Dictionary Third Edition, Secretary means someone who works in an office, writing letters, making telephone calls and arranging meetings for a person or for an organization or an official who has responsibility for the general management of an organization.
Pejoration: The word Secretary after undergoing to Pejoration meaning, It then means an affair or the “second” wife (of the boss).
2. Caddie or Caddy
Literal : According to Cambridge Advance Learner’s Dictionary Third Edition, Secretary means someone who works in an office, writing letters, making telephone calls and arranging meetings for a person or for an organization or an official who has responsibility for the general management of an organization.
Pejoration: The word Secretary after undergoing to Pejoration meaning, It then means an affair or the “second” wife (of the boss).
2. Caddie or Caddy
Literal: According to Cambridge Advance Learner’s Dictionary Third Edition, Caddie or Caddy means a person who carries the equipment for someone who is playing golf.
Pejoration : The word Caddie or Caddy undergoing to Pejoration meaning, it then means a person who accompanies his client or customer not only in the golf field but also on the bed. (this pejoration meaning appears especially in Indonesia after the case of Antasari Azhar and Rani Juliani).
B. Amelioration
B. Amelioration
Amelioration is the process where by a word acquires a more favorable meaning than it had before (Satu kata yang kata yang selain bermakna literal/denotasi, juga mengalami pemuliaan makna atau membaik maknanya dibandingkan dengan makna sebelumnya).
For Example:
Hut (gubuk)
Literal: According to Cambridge Advance Learner’s Dictionary Third Edition, The word Hut means a small, simple building, usually consisting of one room.
Amelioration:
Look at the sentence below:
“Please come to my hut” (sometimes commonly used in Indonesia “singgahlah ke gubukku”). Although the speaker said “my hut” but in reality, his house is not a “hut” at all rather than a big house or a nice building, even it is a beautiful house like a castle. In this situation, the word “hut” gets a more favorable meaning than it had before. It has an amelioration meaning.
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