التحولات الدلالية في المفردة العربية المعاصرة بين الاستعمال والتطور

Semantic shifts in contemporary Arabic vocabulary between usage and evolution

Abstract

This study examines semantic change in commonly used vocabulary as a phenomenon resulting from the interaction between semantic shifts and contemporary cognitive transformations, particularly communication technologies. In this context, meaning has shifted from its original sense to newly developed meanings within technological domains. The study aims to uncover the nature, limits, and patterns of this shift, as well as its impact on reshaping meaning for the addressee.

The research adopts an analytical framework based on comparing lexical (dictionary) meaning with pragmatic meaning as used in everyday language, in order to clarify its discursive function and its influence on vocabulary, as well as its deviation from prior lexical meanings. At times, the descriptive approach is also employed. Overall, the study relies on a descriptive-analytical method, as it traces the trajectory of vocabulary as it moves from its lexical meaning to its contemporary usage, while identifying the nature of this transformation—whether it is terminological or metaphorical, resulting from semantic transfer.

The study finds that semantic change is not limited to processes such as broadening or narrowing of meaning; rather, it extends to the reconstruction of vocabulary through the formation of conceptual and commonly shared semantic fields within new electronic and communicative knowledge systems. This transformation highlights the flexibility of the linguistic system and its capacity to accommodate newly coined expressions while preserving their original lexical roots The importance of this research lies in uncovering the nature of the changes that Arabic words have undergone in light of technological developments, and showing the impact of their daily use in branching into other meanings. The research contributes to highlighting the flexibility of the language and its ability to absorb vocabulary that enriches everyday communication. The study aims to reveal the most significant semantic shifts that have affected Arabic words, show the effect of their linguistic use on their transition to new meanings, and clarify the role of technological developments in guiding and reshaping meanings. The study started with the following question: To what extent has contemporary language use, especially in technological and security fields, contributed to semantic changes that show the distinction between dictionary meanings and practical use?.