English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Explore words with new or contested usages
Explore words with new or contested usages
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify words with new or contested usages in contemporary texts.
Define key linguistic concepts such as neologism, semantic shift, prescriptivism, and descriptivism.
Analyze the rhetorical effect of using a contested word in an argument or piece of literature.
Evaluate the arguments for and against the formal acceptance of a new word or usage.
Construct a thesis-driven argument about the validity or impact of a specific contested word.
Differentiate between prescriptivist and descriptivist approaches to analyzing language.
Ever used a word like 'rizz' or 'yeet' and had an adult look at you like you're speaking another language? 🤔 Language is constantly evolving, and you're on the front lines of that change!
This lesson ex...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
NeologismA newly coined word, expression, or usage that is not yet formally accepted into the mainstream language.The word 'doomscrolling' was a neologism created to describe the act of obsessively reading negative news online, especially on social media.
Semantic ShiftThe evolution of a word's meaning over time. The word stays the same, but its primary definition changes.The word 'literally' traditionally meant 'in a strict, non-figurative sense.' It has undergone a semantic shift and is now frequently used as an intensifier to mean 'virtually' or 'figuratively,' as in 'I literally died of laughter.'
Contested UsageA word or phrase whose meaning, spelling, or grammatical function is disputed by a signi...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Context is King
The meaning and appropriateness of a contested word depend on the Audience, Purpose, and Context (APC).
Before judging a word's usage, analyze who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and what their goal is. A neologism like 'stan' might be perfect for a tweet to a young audience but inappropriate in a formal academic paper.
The Dictionary Follows, It Doesn't Lead
Dictionaries are records of how language is used (descriptivism), not absolute rulebooks for how it must be used (prescriptivism).
When a new word or usage becomes widespread, lexicographers (dictionary writers) add it. The dictionary's inclusion of a word legitimizes its existence, even if some people consider it non-standard. This means language change is driven by peopl...
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Challenging
A new term, 'greenwashing,' emerges to describe companies that deceptively market themselves as environmentally friendly. Based on the principles of descriptivism and the 'Dictionary Follows' rule, what is the most likely path for this neologism?
A.It will be rejected by dictionaries because it is a negative term created by activists.
B.It will remain slang forever and will never be considered a standard word.
C.If its usage becomes widespread and stable in media, business, and public discourse, lexicographers will likely add it to dictionaries as a record of its use.
D.group of linguists will vote on whether the word is 'good enough' to be formally accepted into the language.
Challenging
The word 'woke' has undergone a significant semantic shift and is now highly contested. It originated in AAVE to mean 'aware of social and racial injustice' but is now often used pejoratively. Which thesis statement best analyzes this complexity for a rhetorical analysis paper?
A.The word 'woke' is a new word that people use on the internet.
B.The original meaning of 'woke' was positive, but now it is used incorrectly by many people.
C.The term 'woke' exemplifies rapid pejoration, where its contested usage has become a rhetorical tool to either signal solidarity with social justice causes or to mock them, depending entirely on the speaker's purpose and audience.
D.Prescriptivists are right to argue that the word 'woke' should be banned from formal discourse.
Challenging
An editor reviewing a novel manuscript encounters the following dialogue:
CHARACTER 1: 'You can't just 'friend' a person in real life!'
CHARACTER 2: 'Why not? It's a verb now. Everyone knows what it means.'
This exchange is a fictional representation of the tension between...
A.Neologism and Pejoration, as 'friend' is a new, negative word.
B.Prescriptivist and Descriptivist viewpoints on language.
C.Semantic Shift and the 'It's Not a Real Word' Fallacy.
D.Rhetorical Impact and the 'Dictionary Follows' rule.
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