单选题 The word "lewd'once referred to "ignorant", but now it is used to mean "lustful". This is an example of

A. narrowing of meaning.
B. widening of meaning.
C. loss of meaning.
D. meaning shift.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】本题考查语言学中语义变化。语义变化对扩大语言词汇量起到重要的作用。词义的演变可分为三种不同的类型：narrowing of meaning(词义缩小)、widening of meaning(词义扩大)、meaning shift(词义转移)。其中词义转移是演变指单词后的词义和原来的词义不一致的现象。