ABSTRACT
Some basic words in any language remain more or less unchanged in meaning throughout Ɵme, e.g. fĤng 㢼 (“wind”), yڦ 㞵 (“rain”), jţ 㞱 (“chicken”), mڣ 㤿 (“horse”) in Chinese. But major and subtle semanƟc changes are more of the norm. Generally speaking, the meaning of a word can be extended, narrowed or shiŌed. In tradiƟonal Chinese linguisƟcs, the concept called yڤnshĤn ᘬ⏦ (“to extend”) is used as a general way of meaning change.
