What is the distinction between core vocabulary and peripheral vocabulary in change?

• A. Peripheral vocabulary changes more slowly than core vocabulary.
• B. Core vocabulary changes slowly; peripheral vocabulary (slang/loanwords) changes more rapidly.
• C. Both change at the same rate.
• D. Core vocabulary never changes.

Answer: (B)

The distinction being tested is how different parts of the vocabulary evolve over time. Core vocabulary comprises the most essential, frequently used words—pronouns, basic verbs, and common everyday nouns—that people rely on across situations. Because these words carry a lot of functional load and are needed in nearly all speech, they tend to endure and change only very slowly, over long periods.

Peripheral vocabulary covers slang, jargon, technical terms, and loanwords—words tied to specific communities, technologies, or cultures. These are more fluid, appearing and spreading quickly as society shifts, new ideas emerge, or languages borrow from one another. This makes peripheral vocabulary change much more rapidly than core vocabulary.

So the best description is that core vocabulary changes slowly while peripheral vocabulary (slang and loanwords) changes more rapidly. It would be inconsistent to claim that peripheral changes slowly, that both parts change at the same rate, or that core vocabulary never changes.