Old Words Take On New Meanings

I've often thought about how old words have taken on new meanings.  For example, the word "gay."  It used to mean lively and fun, but it now also means homosexual.  When you were introduced to someone years ago as someone's partner, you probably thought they were referring to a business partner.  Today, partner may also me living partner.  The technological changes have provoked linguistic and cultural change.  Here are some examples.

Canoe:  Old meaning= a long narrow boat.  New= A twitter conversation that has picked up too many usernames for an actual conversation to take place.

Friend:  Old meaning=one attached to another by affection or esteem.  New=to add a person to one's list of contacts on a social-networking site.

Cloud:  Old meaning=a visible mass of particles of condensed vapor.  New=Any of several parts of the Internet that allow online processing and storage of documents.

Sandbox:  Old meaning=a low box filled with sand for children.  New=An environment in which software developers or editors can create and test new content.

Ping:  Old meaning=a sharp sound like that of a striking bullet.  New=To make contact with someone by sending a brief electronic message, as a text message.

Tweet:  Old meaning=A chirping sound.  New=A very short message posted on the twitter website.

Other words that have taken on new meanings in the last 20 years are like, handle, swipe, text, troll tag, profile, unplug and viral.

Dictionaries are constantly being updated, not only for the addition of new words each year, but for the addition of new meanings for old words, most of which have come about due to the internet.