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) |
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