On the evolution of language and the "W" word

[Igel]

96. It's semantic shift.

It used to mean "a woman who has sexual relations with multiple men, often for money"; it could be said of a man, as well. As you get to the present it's more and more restricted to having sex for money or some material compensation.

As far back as the Geneva Bible, "to whore after" was an insult. Israel went whoring after foreign gods. While it meant "corrupting herself with," the symbolism was that of a woman trying to get met to have sex with them. Israel was presented as God's "wife" (symbolism picked up for Jesus + church in the NT).

For it to describe somebody who runs after ___________ (not for sex) avidly is an extension.

Media whores don't have to run after the media for money; they like the attention. "Attention whores" are the same, just not in front of a camera. "Fashion whores", likewise--what's hot, what's trendy, it's all over them.

As for it not to be language change (or "evolution"--people have changed the meaning of the word), we have a nifty compendium better than anything I could have produced, and certainly heads and shoulders above anything I could say on the fly:

http://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/Silke.Hoeche/Aspects%20of%20Language%20Change/types_of_semantic_change.htm

1. Widening/Extension
=> range of meanings of a word increases so that the word can be used in more contexts than were appropriate before the change
-dog =>1) specific powerful breed of dog => all breeds or races of dog
-cupboard => 1) table upon which cups or vessels were placed, a piece of furniture to display plates => closet or cabin with shelves for the keeping cups and dishes =>AE: small storage cabinet
2. Narrowing (specialisation, restriction)
=> range of meaning is decreased so that a word can be used appropriately only in fewer contexts than before the change
*meat => 'food' in general ;
*hound => OE hund 'dog in general' => species of dog (long eared hunting dog) ;
*wife => OE 'woman' =>'woman of humble rank or low employment' => 'married woman, spouse'
*girl => ME 'child or young person of either sex' =>'female child, young woman'

Or take the word "evolve": (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=evolve)

evolve (v.) Look up evolve at Dictionary.com
1640s, "to unfold, open out, expand," from Latin evolvere "to unroll, roll out, roll forth, unfold," especially of books; figuratively "to make clear, disclose; to produce, develop," from assimilated form of ex- "out" (see ex-) + volvere "to roll" (see volvox). Meaning "to develop by natural processes to a higher state" is from 1832. Related: Evolved; evolving."

So it narrowed its meaning in the 1800s (late 1700s, actually). By the mid-1900s it was still a technical term in biology, dealing with changes in the expression of genes by groups through natural selection, narrowed even further. By 1990 it meant "to change in ways that I like", which is clearly extension.

Usually a word just heads in one direction. Take "loaf warden," the guy who was in charge of feeding the serfs or the work crew in early England. It evolved into "lord". "Steorben" which just meant "to die" was narrowed to mean "to die from hunger" and is "starve."

"*drinkian", which was the causative of "drinken" (to drink--drinkian meant 'make drink' or 'give drink to') is our modern word "drench." You can drench your thirst or be drenched by the rain.

"Soak" meant to "lie (submerged in) liquid" in 1200. By 1500 it meant also "to place in liquid". By 1900 it could mean "overcharge" somebody for some good or service.

"Whore" is widening its meaning--it may continue to do so, it may freeze, it may be reversed--by analogy with a woman who runs after men for sex." The money part's been dropped out, oddly enough.

There are probably typos and bad edits in this, but I have a retaining wall to build.