loanshift
/ˈloʊnʃɪft/
noun
- A change in the meaning of a word that occurs when it is borrowed from one language into another.
- A loanshift can make a borrowed word mean something quite different from its original.
- The word 'gymnasium' underwent a loanshift when it entered English from Greek.
- Linguists track loanshifts to understand cultural influences on language.