From qualitative to intensification meaning
(formation of intensification adverbs in Slavic languages)

This paper proposes lexical and etymological analysis of some models of formation and development
of such meaning as intensification in the semantic structure of qualitative adverbs.
Losing the original meaning and expressivity, in modern languages, qualitative adverbs naturally
form the synonymous group of adverbs-intensificators used to express a high degree of attribute
or action. Here are some the most representative examples in different Slavic languages: Russian:
очень, весьма, Ukrainian: дуже, Belorussian: вельмi, Polish: bardzo, Czech: velmi, velice, moc,
Slovak: veľmi, Serbian, Croatian veoma, vrlo, jako, Slovenian: zelo, čisto, hudo etc. In total,
in quantitative terms, we managed to identify about 70–90 different examples in every Slavic
language analyzed. Most of these adverbs were formed from qualitative adjectives. Certain processes
of semantic changes begin first of all in the semantic structure of qualitative adjectives and
then continue in qualitative adverbs. The result of these semantic processes in the adverbs is the
loss of their qualitative meaning. Thus, the adverbs join the group of quantitative words able
to amplify the verb, adjective or another adverb, becoming the synonym of the word very. At the
first stages, these adverbs are characterized by explicit expressive connotation of meaning, which
disappears in the course of time and the quantitative adverb becomes stylistically neutral. Due to
the necessity of expressive connotation, this group of words is constantly replenished with new
lexemes with expressive meaning. This process of replenishment is constant and we can observe
it nowadays. For example, the Russian quantitative adverbs очень, сильно already lost their expressive
connotation, the quantitative adverb страшно can keep its expressive connotaion
depending on the context, and such new quantitative adverbs which are used almost only
in colloquial and jargon speech as суперско, запредельно, офигенно etc. nowadays refer to the
expressive lexicon. Some of them will disappear in the language as temporary expressive adverbs-
intensificators, but as we observe from the language trend, most of them will remain and
gradually lose their expressive connotation, as in example with Czech adverbs ohromně, úžasně,
Slovenian hudo, čisto etc. This paper presents the analysis of the basic semantic, which acts as a catalyst for forming a new expressive quantitative connotation in qualitative adjectives and then
the adverbs, a universal process in Slavonic languages.