Question

Many English words at one time had meanings that were quite different from their current ones. Match each of the semantic changes in Column X to an example given in Column Y and select the appropriate sequence. Note: The older meanings of the words of Column Y are provided in the corresponding row in Column Z. \begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|} \hline Column X & Column Y & Column Z
\hline P. narrowing & i. silly & 'happy, prosperous'
Q. broadening & ii. pretty & 'tricky, sly, cunning'
R. amelioration & iii. bead & 'prayer'
S. pejoration & iv. aunt & 'father's sister'
\hline \end{tabular}

• A. P-iii; Q-iv; R-ii; S-i
• B. P-iv; Q-ii; R-i; S-iii
• C. P-ii; Q-iv; R-iii; S-i
• D. P-i; Q-iii; R-iv; S-ii

Hint:

Remember: - \textbf{Narrowing} → meaning becomes more limited.
- \textbf{Broadening} → meaning becomes wider.
- \textbf{Amelioration} → meaning improves.
- \textbf{Pejoration} → meaning worsens.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understand the semantic change types
- Narrowing: A word's meaning becomes more specific over time.
- Broadening: A word's meaning expands to include a wider range.
- Amelioration: A word develops a more positive meaning than before.
- Pejoration: A word develops a more negative meaning than before.
Step 2: Match each example with change type
- (i) silly: originally meant 'happy, prosperous', but now means 'foolish'. This is a shift to negative meaning → Pejoration (S-i).
- (ii) pretty: originally meant 'tricky, sly, cunning', but now means 'attractive'. This is a shift to positive meaning → Amelioration (R-ii).
- (iii) bead: originally meant 'prayer', but now refers specifically to a 'small decorative object'. This is a restricted meaning → Narrowing (P-iii).
- (iv) aunt: originally meant only 'father's sister', but now applies to all sisters of both parents. This is an expanded meaning → Broadening (Q-iv).
Step 3: Final Sequence
- P (narrowing) → iii (bead)
- Q (broadening) → iv (aunt)
- R (amelioration) → ii (pretty)
- S (pejoration) → i (silly)
Thus, the correct matching sequence is: P-iii; Q-iv; R-ii; S-i. \[ \boxed{\text{Correct Answer: (A)}} \]