Semantic Drift

QUOTE

Rudyard Kipling once said…

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

(English journalist and novelist)

CONCEPT

Semantic Drift

Semantic drift is the process by which the meaning of words changes over time. A word might broaden, narrow, or shift entirely in definition as cultures evolve.

For example, “girl” once meant a young child of *either* gender in Middle English; “awful” once meant “awe-inspiring” rather than bad; “meat” once meant any kind of food, not just animal flesh.

This natural drift reflects history, culture, and usage. Semantic drift shows that language is not static but alive—constantly reshaped by how people use it in daily life, by metaphor, by technology, and by power.

STORY

Nice … Wasn’t Nice?

In the 14th century, the word “nice” was an insult. By the 21st, it had become a compliment so bland it was almost invisible.

The word’s journey is a textbook case of semantic drift. Its root is the Latin ”nescius”, meaning “ignorant.” In Middle English, “nice” meant foolish, silly, or even lewd. To call someone “nice” was not a kindness—it was a sneer.

By the 16th century, the meaning softened. “Nice” came to describe someone overly fastidious, even fussy. A “nice” person was difficult to please. A century later, it drifted again, used to describe refinement and delicacy: a “nice distinction” or “nice taste.”

The 18th and 19th centuries cemented another turn: “nice” became associated with kindness, agreeableness, and good manners. By the 20th century, its cutting edge had worn down entirely. It meant simply “pleasant.” Today, it’s so semantically diluted that calling someone “nice” often feels like damning with faint praise.

Over 600 years, “nice” shifted from “ignorant” to “pleasant,” a semantic migration across continents of meaning. What began as mockery ended as politeness.