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Abstract
Semantic change represents one of the fundamental processes in the historical and contemporary development of the English language. Lexical meanings are not fixed entities; rather, they are continuously modified through language use, contextual interpretation, social interaction, cultural transformation, technological development, and cognitive processes. This article investigates the principal causes, mechanisms, and linguistic consequences of semantic change in Modern English. Particular attention is devoted to semantic broadening, narrowing, amelioration, pejoration, metaphorization, metonymization, and semantic bleaching. The study combines descriptive, comparative, contextual, and diachronic approaches to the analysis of lexical items whose meanings have undergone transformation. Particular consideration is also given to the influence of globalization, digital communication, technological innovation, and changing cultural practices on contemporary English vocabulary. The analysis demonstrates that semantic change is neither random nor entirely unpredictable
References
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