The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective
This paper is about the semantics of quality modal superlatives in predicative function, e.g. Italian È stata il più calma possibile (‘She was the calmest possible’), with a focus on what is the anchoring of the modal superlative, and how what is being compared is restricted. The limitations of sin...
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| Language: | English |
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Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Isogloss |
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| Online Access: | https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/424 |
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| author | Lucia M. Tovena Damien Fleury |
| author_facet | Lucia M. Tovena Damien Fleury |
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| collection | DOAJ |
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This paper is about the semantics of quality modal superlatives in predicative function, e.g. Italian È stata il più calma possibile (‘She was the calmest possible’), with a focus on what is the anchoring of the modal superlative, and how what is being compared is restricted. The limitations of single-anchoring in individuals when analysing modal superlatives, following the strategy generally adopted for ordinary absolute and relative superlatives, are highlighted. The alternative of using a comparison class made of world+individual pairs grouped into equivalence classes defined through the amount of the gradable property (Tovena & Fleury 2023), proves a better solution. New data on the stage-level vs. individual-level reading of the gradable adjective provide evidence supporting this form of anchoring. The stage-level reading, although predominant, is not the manifestation of the invariance of the individual being compared. Some stage-level interpretations favour selecting a plurality of individuals for comparison, with the difference that this plurality is determined across possible worlds, not in the actual world, in contrast to ordinary superlatives.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-060d6b06e8db4e818c23fb3e6851c1ee |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2385-4138 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Isogloss |
| spelling | doaj-art-060d6b06e8db4e818c23fb3e6851c1ee2025-01-28T03:01:55ZengUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaIsogloss2385-41382024-12-0110710.5565/rev/isogloss.424The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjectiveLucia M. Tovena0Damien Fleury1Université Paris CitéUniversité Paris Cité This paper is about the semantics of quality modal superlatives in predicative function, e.g. Italian È stata il più calma possibile (‘She was the calmest possible’), with a focus on what is the anchoring of the modal superlative, and how what is being compared is restricted. The limitations of single-anchoring in individuals when analysing modal superlatives, following the strategy generally adopted for ordinary absolute and relative superlatives, are highlighted. The alternative of using a comparison class made of world+individual pairs grouped into equivalence classes defined through the amount of the gradable property (Tovena & Fleury 2023), proves a better solution. New data on the stage-level vs. individual-level reading of the gradable adjective provide evidence supporting this form of anchoring. The stage-level reading, although predominant, is not the manifestation of the invariance of the individual being compared. Some stage-level interpretations favour selecting a plurality of individuals for comparison, with the difference that this plurality is determined across possible worlds, not in the actual world, in contrast to ordinary superlatives. https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/424modal superlativesstage level vs individual levelcomparison classsemanticspragmatics |
| spellingShingle | Lucia M. Tovena Damien Fleury The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective Isogloss modal superlatives stage level vs individual level comparison class semantics pragmatics |
| title | The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective |
| title_full | The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective |
| title_fullStr | The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective |
| title_full_unstemmed | The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective |
| title_short | The anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective |
| title_sort | anchor of a modal superlative and the individual vs stage level reading of the adjective |
| topic | modal superlatives stage level vs individual level comparison class semantics pragmatics |
| url | https://revistes.uab.cat/isogloss/article/view/424 |
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