DEGREE, INTENSITY, AND EVALUATION IN PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS: A SEMANTIC STUDY

This dissertation examines how to assess, evaluate, and measure the degree of intensification associated with phraseological units. This degree is expressed in two fundamental ways: structural forms and conceptual structures. Traditionally, the study of gradation has occurred entirely within lexical semantics; however, there are multiple ways to represent complex scalar meanings in non-lexical phraseological expressions, each reflecting different cognitive, cultural, and typological patterns. This research identifies three types of semantic models associated with the measurement of intense, attenuated, or evaluative gradations (i.e., evaluative scales) within phraseological systems and provides a theoretical basis for examining gradonyms above the lexical level. The evidence supports the assertion that gradation in phraseological phrases is a systematic manifestation of cognitive motivation and cultural grounding.