hellog〜英語史ブログ / 2015-04-26

■ #2190. 原義の弱まった強意語 [intensifier][semantic_change]

　本ブログでは，強意語について intensifier の各記事で取り上げてきた．とりわけ，「#992. 強意語と「限界効用逓減の法則」」 ([2012-01-14-1]) や「#1219. 強意語はなぜ種類が豊富か」 ([2012-08-28-1]) では，強意語が歴史的に次々と現われては累積してきた過程について論じた．英語史における強意語の発達の具体例は先の記事でも列挙したが，今回は，歴史的に累積してきた，現代英語でもある程度よく用いられる強意副詞の例を挙げたい．この種の語彙一覧を簡便かつ丁寧に与えてくれるのは，Williams (191--92) である．以下のそれぞれについて，本来の語義からいかにして強調の意味が発達したのか，その本来の語義は今ではどの程度感じられるかについて問うてみてほしい．

	Intensifier	Example Phrase	Earlier Meaning
1.	abominably	abominably tired	(excite disgust)
2.	amazingly	amazingly dull	(cause to lose wits)
3.	astonishingly	astonishingly minor	(stun with a blow)
4.	awfully	awfully unimpressive	(cause dread or awe)
5.	confounded	confounded happy	(bring to perdition)
6.	damned	damned pleased	(doomed)
7.	dreadfully	dreadfully small	(excite dread or awe)
8.	enormously	enormously good	(abnormally evil)
9.	excessively	excessively happy	(go beyond just limits)
10.	extraordinarily	extraordinarily normal	(beyond the ordinary)
11.	extravagantly	extravagantly unambitious	(wander beyond bounds)
12.	extremely	extremely limited	(uttermost)
13.	fabulously	fabulously cheap	(fabled)
14.	fantastically	fantastically real	(exist in imagination)
15.	full	full weary	(complete)
16.	frightfully	frightfully boring	(full of horror)
17.	grandly	grandly expensive	(great)
18.	greatly	greatly exhausted	(great)
19.	hideously	hideously expensive	(excite terror)
20.	horribly	horribly expensive	(excite horror)
21.	horridly	horridly embarrassed	(excite horror)
22.	hugely	hugely amused	(immense)
23.	immensely	immensely unimportant	(large beyond measure)
24.	immoderately	immoderately hungry	(beyond limits)
25.	incredibly	incredibly real	(not to be believed)
26.	intensely	intensely tired	(stretched)
27.	magnificently	magnificently pleased	(greatness of achievement)
28.	marvelously	marvelously stupid	(miraculous)
29.	might(il)y	mighty weak	(power)
30.	monstrously	monstrously excited	(deviating from natural)
31.	outrageously	outrageously ordinary	(exceeding limits)
32.	perfectly	perfectly stupid	(complete in all senses)
33.	pretty	pretty ugly	(firm, nice, proper)
34.	powerful	powerful tired	(force,influence)
35.	really	really imaginative	(objective existence)
36.	right	right foolish	(what is good)
37.	simply	simply confusing	(without complication)
38.	sore(ly)	sore(ly) afraid	(cause pain)
39.	stupendously	stupendously alert	(struck senseless)
40.	tremendously	tremendously calm	(excite trembling)
41.	terribly	terribly pleased	(excite terror)
42.	terrifically	terrifically happy	(excite terror)
43.	vastly	vastly insignificant	(of great dimensions)
44.	very	very false	(true, real)
45.	violently	violently opposed	(producing injury)
46.	wonderfully	wonderfully boring	(causing astonishment)
47.	wondrously	wondrously tedious	(causing astonishment)

　上掲語の多くは，強意に用いられるときには，原義が失われているか，少なくとも弱まってはいるだろう．リストにはないが，例えば f--king chaste という強意表現は f--king の原義を考えると意味的に矛盾しているが，実際に俗語で用いられ得るのは，その語がすでに原義をほとんど失っているからである．そこに宿っているのは，ショックを引き起こす力のみである．

　・ Williams, Joseph M. Origins of the English Language: A Social and Linguistic History. New York: Free P, 1975.

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