Starter quiz
- In which language was the Lord's Prayer first said?
- Aramaic ✓
- Latin
- Old English
- Greek
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- Order these texts chronologically from the first appearance of the Lord's Prayer to the most recent.
- 1⇔Wessex Gospels
- 2⇔Tyndale Bible
- 3⇔King James Bible
- Which of the below is an example of a superlative?
- Greatest ✓
- Cool
- Excellent
- Superb
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- Which of the below is the definition of superlative?
- A word that shows the highest or lowest quality of something ✓
- A language device using 'like' or 'as'
- A word that sounds like the thing it describes
- A describing word
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- What is being described here: 'shortened forms of words and phrases that convey the same meaning in fewer words (e.g. ‘Tbc’ instead of ‘To be continued’)?
- Simile
- Abbreviation ✓
- Prefix
- Suffix
- Metaphor
-
- If something occurs across generations then it can be described as ....
- 'Intergenerational' ✓
Exit quiz
- When a word's meaning grows less intense over time this is known as word ....
- 'weakening' ✓
- Match the key terms to their correct definitions.
- Pejoration⇔when a word acquires a more negative meaning ✓
- Amelioration⇔a process when a word acquires a more pleasant meaning ✓
- Intensification⇔when a word gains a stronger meaning than it had before ✓
- The word 'stunning' used to mean 'capable of rendering someone unconscious' but now means something impressive or attractive. This is an example of...
- intensification.
- weakening. ✓
- amelioration.
- pejoration.
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- The word 'knight' used to mean a small boy or servant but now refers to a brave warrior known for their honour and nobility. This is an example of...
- weakening.
- amelioration.
- pejoration.
- intensification. ✓
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- Which of the below best explains how the word 'geek' has ameliorated?
- It has developed into a very positive word to describe an expert or specialist
- It has evolved from meaning a 'sideshow freak' to denote an expert in something ✓
- It has always been positive but has recently grown even more positive
- It has changed from being a positive nickname to a term of offence
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- Which of the below best explains how the word 'notorious' has undergone word pejoration?
- Its meaning has changed from well-known to well-known but for negative reasons ✓
- Its meaning has stayed consistently negative over the years
- Its meaning has changed from well-known to well-known for positive reasons
- Its meaning has become much more negative
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Weakening is when a word is overused and loses the strength of its meaning
- Intensification is when a word acquires a stronger meaning over time
- Amelioration is when a word acquires a certain, more pleasurable meaning than it once had
- Pejoration is when a word acquires negative connotations that it did not have before
Common misconception
That the process of amelioration and pejoration mean a word completely changes its meaning.
Pejoration and amelioration refer to a word becoming more negative/positive and this does not mean the word completely changes its meaning.
Keywords
Weakening - When a word is overused and its meaning is altered this is called weakening.
Intensification - When a word acquires a stronger meaning than it had before this is called intensification.
Amelioration - Amelioration is when a word acquires pleasant connotations that it didn’t have before.
Pejoration - Pejoration is when a word acquires negative connotations that it didn’t have before.
Superlative - A superlative shows the highest or lowest quality of something. e.g 'best' or 'greatest'.
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