How would you use a diachronic corpus to test for a semantic shift in a target word?

• A. Compare sense distributions and contexts across time, controlling for register and genre.
• B. Compare only pronunciation changes.
• C. Compare modern internet usage.
• D. Compare a single year.

Answer: (A)

Testing semantic shift with a diachronic corpus involves examining how a word's senses and its collocational patterns change over time. You compare sense distributions across different time periods and look at the contexts in which the word tends to appear, while controlling for register and genre so that observed changes reflect real meaning shifts rather than changes in topic or style. Practically, you divide the corpus into time slices, infer or annotate the senses, and measure how often each sense occurs in each period. You also examine typical collocates to see whether new contexts or associations emerge, indicating resemanticization. Controlling for register and genre is crucial because shifts in genre can masquerade as semantic change if not accounted for. This approach captures how meanings evolve, rather than merely noting pronunciation differences, modern usage, or data from a single year.