Deer: any beast > a certain kind of beast Meat:
any food > a certain food product
Boy: any young person of the male sex > servant of the male sex
It should be pointed out once more that in all these words the second meaning developed through transference based on contiguity, and that when we speak of them as examples of narrowing of meaning we simply imply that the range of the second meaning is more narrow than that of the original meaning. These terms are open to question because they seem to imply that meanings can become "better" or "worse" which is neither logical nor plausible. But, as a matter-of-fact, scholars using these terms do not actually mean the degeneration or elevation of meaning itself, but of the referent onto which a word is transferred, so that the term is inaccurate. But let us try and see what really stands behind the examples of change of meaning which are traditionally given to illustrate degeneration and elevation of meaning.
Tyupe of tranference their usages
Transfer is an excellent example of how a little knowledge of Latin can go a long way.
Transfer entered English around 1350–40. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb trānsferre, which principally meant “to carry or bring across.” The verb is composed of two parts. The first part is trāns-, a prefix based on the adverb and preposition trāns, meaning “across, beyond, through.” The second part is ferre, a verb meaning “to bear, carry,” among many other senses. The English verb bear, as in “bearing a load,” is actually an etymological cousin to the Latin ferre.
Trāns- and ferre appear in many other English words. Let’s start with ferre. Prefer comes from the Latin praeferre, “to bear or set before” (learn more at pre–, preference). Refer comes from the Latin referre, “to bring back” (re–, reference). Infer comes from inferre, “to bring in” (in–, inference). This next origin may put a new spin on the word for you: suffer comes from sufferre, literally “to bear under,” with suf- a variant of sub- “under.” Defer and deference ultimately comes from—slight curveball here—differre, “to bear apart, carry away.” Differre is also the source of differ, different, and difference.
Now for trāns-. Trāns– was incredibly productive in Latin. That means it was used to produce many new words, especially verbs (and their related forms) that have made their way into English, including:
transact
transcend
transcribe
transfigure
transfix
transform
transfuse
transmit
transpire
Does knowing that trāns- means “across, beyond, through” shed any new light on what these words mean?
Some other common words directly derived from Latin and featuring trāns- are transit, translucent, and transparent.
Trāns-, naturalized as trans–, is also very productive in English. Some familiar examples include transconintental, trans-fat, and transgender.
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