TCP Shorts: Loan-Words

English is heavily indebted to other languages, on a number of different levels. They can bring new terms (loan-words) into the language, which are usually assimilated over time. The appearance of loan-words can also displace pre-existing words, which share the same semantic space. To use a real-world example, deor (the Old English word for ‘animal’) ended up competing with the Middle French beast. As languages avoid complete synonyms – words which have absolutely the same meanings, including connotations – deor ended up transitioning towards modern English deer. As the general meanings of older words are replaced by the new-comers, only the specific senses are left behind.