This paper investigates lexical changes that occurred in Cairene Arabic from the 19th century onwards. Texts from the 19th century display a large number of lexical items that have either become obsolete and disappeared, or have changed in meaning. To the latter category belong words that got a more specific meaning, in many instances a negative one. This type of semantic change is called pejoration. This paper will discuss seven of these words, explaining the different types of lexical change and the underlying causes. The focus will be on two words with the meaning “woman”, and on five words for certain professions. The research shows that words meaning “woman” have a general tendency in many languages to be subjected to pejoration, and Cairene Arabic is no exception. The other examples are trades of people who lived on the fringes of society; these groups were looked down upon by the townspeople. Although the original meaning indicating these professions disappeared, the related negative connotations associated with these words lived on
