Linguistic Mapping Reveals How Word Meanings Sometimes Change Overnight | MIT Technology Review
▻http://www.technologyreview.com/view/532776/linguistic-mapping-reveals-how-word-meanings-sometimes-change-over
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy approached the eastern coast of the United States. At the same time, the English language was undergoing a small earthquake of its own. Just months before, the word “sandy” was an adjective meaning “covered in or consisting mostly of sand” or “having light yellowish brown color.” Almost overnight, this word gained an additional meaning as a proper noun for one of the costliest storms in U.S. history.