Which term describes a word gaining a new sense or meaning, such as historically shifting from joyful to other senses?

• A. Euphemism
• B. Neosemic shift
• C. Clipping
• D. Pejoration

Answer: (B)

Words can gain new senses over time, a process where an existing lexeme acquires an additional meaning beyond its original ones. This is what neosemy captures—the creation of new semantic senses for a word, often through metaphor, reanalysis, or broadening. So when a term shifts from its historical sense of joy to acquire other meanings, that’s a neosemic shift in action.

The other terms describe different changes: a euphemism is about replacing a harsh or blunt term with a milder one, clipping shortens a word, and pejoration is a shift toward a more negative sense. The scenario described fits neosemy because it centers on adding new meanings to an existing word rather than altering its tone or form.