to shift
1
7.7
- verb
- /ʃɪft/
- Specialized
- The meaning of ustuwana for wax cylinder, which strictly speaking can only refer to the phonograph, has shifted in modern Arabic usage to "gramophone record disc."
Examples
-
As he came closer and closer to the wall, the angle at which the moon shone in the window shifted gradually.
Fiction book (2000) -
As languages evolve, they often shift in pronunciation over time, reflecting changes in usage.
-
So how exactly does our voice box work, and what causes these shifts in speech?
-
The whole production of printed texts follows the shifting norms of global change.
Academic text (2002) -
As the procession reached the choir screen toward the end of the route, the language of the ritual shifted from Latin into the vernacular.
Academic text (2000) -
Mrs. Kormanik helped establish, and has helped people in places from Sri Lanka to Detroit; the focus has shifted to become mostly local, she said.
Blog text (33) -
As in Yellowstone, however, species dominance shifted substantially because early successional species thrive in the hurricane-created gaps.
Academic text (1997) -
Linguists study how different speech communities shift their sounds systematically as the language develops.
-
The pronunciation of certain vowels shifts noticeably in old recordings compared to modern speech.
Synonyms
1
7.4
Change to sound more like a nearby sound when speaking
To change a sound into a hissing sound like s or sh
Change a consonant so you use your throat to make sound when saying it
Phrasal Verbs
Move money from one type like stocks to another to reduce risk or try to earn more
Compounds
16
2.2
A period of work during the day, usually from morning to afternoon, or the workers who work then
- Specialized
2
7.2
Light from distant galaxies moves toward red light, showing they move away
- Specialized
1
6.5
A change in sound pitch or light colour when the source and observer move
Surface Forms
Etymology
A shift in sounds is named for the same simple idea of 'moving' or 'changing'; linguists call big, regular changes in pronunciation a shift, as in the Great Vowel Shift, because the sounds have 'moved' over time.