The mirative and scalar meaning of even
The analysis I develop here draws on the concept of mirativity (DeLancey 1987) and on Kay’s (1990) insight into the scalar nature of even. I show that even calls for the reconstruction of an implicit scale, on which the element highlighted by this adverbial marker stands out as the most (or more) su...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Presses Universitaires du Midi
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| Series: | Anglophonia |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/anglophonia/1775 |
| _version_ | 1797311191979130880 |
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| author | Olivier Simonin |
| author_facet | Olivier Simonin |
| author_sort | Olivier Simonin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The analysis I develop here draws on the concept of mirativity (DeLancey 1987) and on Kay’s (1990) insight into the scalar nature of even. I show that even calls for the reconstruction of an implicit scale, on which the element highlighted by this adverbial marker stands out as the most (or more) surprising in the set considered. This non-referential, non-propositional meaning of even is likely to trigger a series of inferences, whose status is duly discussed, and to strengthen or weaken other derived assumptions, and even to guide their derivation itself. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T01:55:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91de99dd7b824626b1c6258dffc45185 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1278-3331 2427-0466 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T01:55:04Z |
| publisher | Presses Universitaires du Midi |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anglophonia |
| spelling | doaj.art-91de99dd7b824626b1c6258dffc451852024-02-14T09:08:27ZengPresses Universitaires du MidiAnglophonia1278-33312427-04662610.4000/anglophonia.1775The mirative and scalar meaning of evenOlivier SimoninThe analysis I develop here draws on the concept of mirativity (DeLancey 1987) and on Kay’s (1990) insight into the scalar nature of even. I show that even calls for the reconstruction of an implicit scale, on which the element highlighted by this adverbial marker stands out as the most (or more) surprising in the set considered. This non-referential, non-propositional meaning of even is likely to trigger a series of inferences, whose status is duly discussed, and to strengthen or weaken other derived assumptions, and even to guide their derivation itself.https://journals.openedition.org/anglophonia/1775mirativityscalarscaleeveninferences |
| spellingShingle | Olivier Simonin The mirative and scalar meaning of even Anglophonia mirativity scalar scale even inferences |
| title | The mirative and scalar meaning of even |
| title_full | The mirative and scalar meaning of even |
| title_fullStr | The mirative and scalar meaning of even |
| title_full_unstemmed | The mirative and scalar meaning of even |
| title_short | The mirative and scalar meaning of even |
| title_sort | mirative and scalar meaning of even |
| topic | mirativity scalar scale even inferences |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/anglophonia/1775 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oliviersimonin themirativeandscalarmeaningofeven AT oliviersimonin mirativeandscalarmeaningofeven |