Imagine you and your friends are playing a game where you speak in a different language than the one you usually use. This is similar to what happened thousands of years ago in the land of Canaan, where people started speaking a new language called Canaanite.
At first, some people continued to use their old language, while others started using the new Canaanite language. Over time, more and more people started using Canaanite until it became the main language in the area.
As people started speaking Canaanite, they also started using new words and pronunciations. This is kind of like how you might use slang words or make up new words when you're playing with your friends.
The Canaanite shift refers to the changes that happened in the Canaanite language over time. This happened because people kept using the language and changing it as they went along.
So, just like how your game of speaking a different language might start as a fun thing to do with your friends, the Canaanite shift was a natural process that happened as people used and changed their language over time.