Subjectification in gradable adjectives

Maat, Henk Pander

doi:10.1515/9783110892970.279

Cited by 5 publications

References 8 publications

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Ways to intensify

Napoli¹,

Ravetto²

2017

Studies in Language Companion Series

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Intensification has traditionally been regarded as a category that is closely related to the concept of degree, i.e., to gradability (since Bolinger 1972). However, as has been shown by, among others, Paradis (2001, 2008), intensifiers are used not only with gradable bases (as adjectives typically are), but also with non-gradable bases, including nouns and verbs. The nature of the modified base – gradable vs. non-gradable, but also bounded vs. unbounded – may influence the value of the intensifiers, which as a result do not represent a homogenous category. Italian and German confirm this state of affairs in their use of some evaluative prefixes, mainly of Greek and Latin origin, with different kinds of base and different semantic and pragmatic functions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the behaviour of the most representative of these prefixes using a corpus-based approach. We will try to illustrate how the values assumed by Italian and German prefixes cannot be accounted for only in terms of degree modification, as related to the quantity and/or quality dimensions of intensification, since these forms show an increase in their subjectivity and expressive strength, which leads them to lose their semantic specificity and to assume a more general intensifying (and emphasizing) function.

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Ways to intensify

Napoli¹,

Ravetto²

2017

Studies in Language Companion Series

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Reference points in linguistic construal: Scalar adjectives revisited*

Tribushinina¹

2009

Studia Linguistica

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This paper addresses one of the central assumptions in the analysis of scalar adjectives that their positive form is obligatorily interpreted vis-a`-vis an average value. By this view, tall and taller than average are equivalent expressions. Counter to this well-established view, I argue that the two constructions are not equivalent; there are important semantic and functional differences between them. First, not all uses of the positive form are interpreted vis-a`-vis an average value. Second, even in contexts where the average is relevant, it is not sufficient by itself: several standards of comparison are involved in the interpretation of scalar adjectives. Third, bare scalars and the Aer-than-average construction select different scale parts as their profile and are in this sense different construals of the gradual scale.

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A contrastive view of adjectives in Croatian, Polish and English: subjectification as a local phenomenon

Stanojević

Kryżan-Stanojević

Parizoska³

2015

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A contrastive view of adjectives in Croatian, Polish and English: subjectification as a local phenomenonA study of English adjectives (Athanasiadou 2006) suggested that subjectification (defined as the degree to which the conceptualizer plays a role in construing the objective scene; Langacker 2000) may be helpful in examining the various uses of adjectives in English. In this paper we attempt to do the same, comparing and contrasting three languages: English (as the point of reference), and Croatian and Polish. Croatian and Polish were selected because they allow relatively free combinations, with the caveat that Polish uses postposition for classifying senses. We examine whether subjectification may be taken as the organizing principle behind the prenominal, postnominal and predicative positions found in the three languages, i.e. whether the role of subjectification is global – working across constructions, or local – working within a construction. Examples from three languages showed that although subjectification does play a role in the various positions, it may not be taken as the organizing principle behind the differences. We argue that this is due to the fact that subjectification is a local phenomenon which works within a single construction, which is delimited formally and functionally. This is corroborated by other subjectified constructions. We believe that this is due to the gradual nature of subjectification, which requires recoverable links to previous stages.

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Subjectification in gradable adjectives

Cited by 5 publications

References 8 publications

Ways to intensify

Ways to intensify

Reference points in linguistic construal: Scalar adjectives revisited*

A contrastive view of adjectives in Croatian, Polish and English: subjectification as a local phenomenon

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