CONTENTS -- Preface -- Introduction -- 1 Grading, Gradability and Degrees -- 1.1 An Introduction to Grading and Gradability -- 1.1.1 Grading -- 1.1.2 Adverbs of degree -- 1.1.3 Negation and understatements -- 1.1.4 Absolute adjectives -- 1.2 Grading in various Syntactic Categories -- 1.3 Classifying the Adverbs of Degree -- 1.3.1 Scales of implication -- 1.3.2 Proposals for classification in the literature -- 1.3.3 The classification used in this manuscript -- 1.4 Notes on Terminology -- 2 The Origin of Adverbs of Degree -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Issues of Grammaticalization -- 2.3 Expressions of Quantity -- 2.3.1 Discerning the grading function -- 2.3.2 Details on the grading use of quantitative expressions -- 2.3.3 Universals and expressions of completeness and degree -- 2.4 Expressions of Distance -- 2.5 Identifiers and Comparative Expressions -- 2.5.1 Referring to objects -- 2.5.2 Referring to properties -- 2.5.3 Deictics and comparatives as adverbs of degree -- 2.6 Modal Adverbs -- 2.6.1 The process of change -- 2.6.2 Discerning the grading function -- 2.6.2.1 Tests for English adverbs -- 2.6.2.2 The tests of van Os -- 2.7 Qualitative Expressions -- 2.7.1 The process of change -- 2.7.2 Discerning the grading function -- 2.7.3 Overview of expressions around the neutral range -- 2.7.4 Overview of expressions with an extreme meaning -- 2.7.4.1 Expletives/taboo words -- 2.7.4.2 Expressions denoting emotional impact -- 2.7.4.3 A striking high or extreme position on a scale -- 2.7.4.4 The incorporation of intensifying elements -- 2.8 Conclusions -- 2.8.1 Grammaticalization revisited -- 2.8.2 Source and grade -- 2.8.3 Source and restrictions -- 3 Semantic Restrictions on the Use of Adverbs of Degree -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Restrictions on the Modified Element -- 3.2.1 Absolute versus gradable -- 3.2.1.1 The modification of absolute predicates.

3.2.1.2 The relativity of absoluteness -- 3.2.2 Inherent polarity: Positive versus negative predicates -- 3.2.2.1 Types of polarity for predicates -- 3.2.2.2 Inherent polarity and adverbs of degree -- 3.2.3 Comparatives and comparative-like expressions -- 3.2.3.1 Grading change -- 3.2.3.2 Adverbs modifying expressions with comparative semantics -- 3.2.3.3 Modifying superlatives -- 3.3 Polarity Restrictions on the Environment -- 3.3.1 Polarity of the environment -- 3.3.2 Views on the polarity sensitivity of adverbs of degree -- 3.3.3 The interpretation of the negation of a degree -- 3.3.4 Negating the various degrees -- 3.3.5 Adverbs of degree in monotone decreasing environments -- 3.4 Combining Restrictions to Environment and Modified Element -- 3.4.1 Strengthening negation -- 3.4.2 The evaluative polarity of a statement -- 3.5 Monotonicity Properties of Adverbs of Degree -- 3.5.1 A square of opposition for adverbs of degree -- 3.5.2 The monotonicity properties explored -- 3.5.3 Consequences of the monotonicity properties -- 3.6 Restrictions on Reduplication and Stacking -- 3.6.1 Reduplication -- 3.6.2 Stacking -- 3.6.2.1 The syntactic structure of multiple modification -- 3.6.2.2 Restrictions on a complex degree modifier -- To conclude -- Case study 1 -- Vrijwel and Nauwelijks: the negative side of the absolute -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The Function of Vrijwel and Nauwelijks -- 1.3 Constraints on the Use of Vrijwel and Nauwelijks -- 1.3.1 Summary of the constraints -- 1.3.2 Absoluteness -- 1.3.3 Possibility of approximation -- 1.4 Overview of the Modifiable Expressions -- 1.5 Modification of Generalized Quantifiers -- 1.5.1 Monotone increasing quantifiers -- 1.5.2 Monotone decreasing quantifiers -- 1.5.3 Non-monotonic quantifiers -- 1.5.4 The common element in quantifiers modifiable by vrijwel.

1.6 General Constraints on the Use of Vrijwel Reformulated -- Case study 2 -- Bar and Bijster: two polarity sensitive adverbs -- 2.1 The Problem -- 2.2 The Survey -- 2.3 The Results -- 2.3.1 Judgements per category -- 2.3.1.1 Influence of lexical choice -- 2.3.2 Judgements of individual subjects per category -- 2.4 Data from the Corpus -- 2.5 Conclusions -- 2.6 Discussion -- Case study 3 -- Noemenswaardig and Nennenswert: a comparison -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 A Short Overview of the Data -- 3.3 The Adjectival Use of Noemenswaardig / Nennenswert -- 3.4 The Adverbial Use of Noemenswaardig / Nennenswert -- 3.5 Why is Noemenswaardig / Nennenswert an NPi? -- 3.6 Conclusions -- Notes -- Appendix of Dutch Adverbs of Degree -- References -- Name Index -- Subject Index -- A. Index of lexical items -- B. General Index.