relexicalized

Relexicalized is a term used in linguistics to describe a state or process in which a language’s lexicon is reshaped through changes to its words and their meanings. In this sense, relexicalization refers to the ways lexical items are replaced, reinterpreted, or reencoded to express concepts that were previously expressed differently. The focus is on the lexicon itself rather than on broad syntactic or phonological changes.

The term is used in different subfields with varying emphasis. One common sense is replacement or borrowing: older or older-ward terms are supplanted by newer borrowings or more prestigious native words as a language evolves or comes into contact with other languages. A related sense involves semantic reanalysis: a word acquires new meanings or shifts in scope, effectively relexicalizing how a concept is encoded in the language. A third sense covers the lexicalization of expressions: a multiword expression or periphrastic description becomes entrenched as a single lexical item, thereby changing how speakers encode the concept.

Relexicalization is often discussed in studies of language change, contact linguistics, and sociolinguistics, where shifts in prestige, technology, or cultural contact drive changes in vocabulary. It is related to, but distinct from, broader lexicalization and from simple semantic change, in that it emphasizes the replacement, reanalysis, or consolidation of lexical items within the lexicon. The term is used variably, and some scholars may prefer more narrowly defined alternatives depending on the context.