Map out and come to a better understanding of quantity modification in English and French

Description

The general aim of this project is to begin to map out and come to a better understanding of quantity modification in English and French, as in absolutely all/absolument tout, very many/vraiment beacoup, almost three/presque trois. Whereas degree modification has received considerable attention in the literature, the modification of quantity has received next to no attention in its own right. This research project wants to chart the different functional types of quantity modification available in English and French and map out how these types are typically realized. The project also envisages a study into the translation of quantity modification from French into English and vice versa. The structural-functional characterization of the phenomenon of quantity modification that will be developed will contribute to theory-formation about scalarity and the relation between semantics and pragmatics.