Which two processes of lexical change are illustrated by the pairings below?

• A. Coinage — 'internet'; Borrowing — 'ballet' (French); Semantic extension — 'mouse' (computer mouse)
• B. Coinage — 'ballet'; Borrowing — 'internet'; Semantic extension — 'mouse'
• C. Coinage — 'shampoo'; Borrowing — 'parliament'; Semantic extension — 'keyboard'
• D. Coinage — 'keyboard'; Borrowing — 'shampoo'; Semantic extension — 'parliament'

Answer: (A)

This item tests your understanding of three ways words can change what they mean or how they come into a language: coinage, borrowing, and semantic extension. Internet is a brand-new word built to name a global network, so it’s coinage—it didn’t exist in English before. Ballet comes from French and has been adopted into English with little or no change in form or meaning, which is borrowing. Mouse gaining a new sense as the device used with computers shows semantic extension: the existing word broadens to cover a new, related use without losing its original meaning.

Together, these examples illustrate three separate processes that can operate in language growth. The other options mix up at least one pairing, so this set best demonstrates the correct concepts.