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Medium degree
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Medium degree modifiers occupy the middle field between high degree and low degree modifiers. Some examples include betreklik relatively and ridlik reasonably.

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Medium degree modifiers occupy the middle field between high degree and low degree modifiers. Some examples include: betreklik relatively, ridlik reasonably, frijwat quite somewhat and min of mear more or less.

Medium degree modifiers cannot always be clearly distinguished from high degree modifiers, which suggests that their meaning in concrete instances of language use is in part pragmatically determined.

The modifiers wat somewhat, frijwat quite somewhat can occur not only after, but also before the indefinite article:

1
a. Hy is wat / frijwat in domme jonge
he is somewhat a foolish boy
He is a somewhat foolish boy
b. Hy is in wat / frijwat domme jonge
he is a somewhat foolish boy
He is a somewhat foolish boy

The synonymous Noun Phrase (NP) in bytsje a little must occur before the article:

2
a. Hy is in bytsje in domme jonge
he is a little a foolish boy
He is a somewhat foolish boy
b. *Hy is in in bytsje domme jonge
he is a a little foolish boy
He is a somewhat foolish boy
c. *Hy is in bytsje domme jonge
he is a little foolish boy
He is a somewhat foolish boy

Although these modifiers occur before the indefinite article, they may still be part of the NP as a whole, since they may accompany the NP when it occurs in the sentence-initial topic position:

3
In bytsje / Wat in domme jonge is er al
a little somewhat a foolish boy is he indeed
A somewhat foolish boy, he is indeed

But they may also be separated from the NP:

4
In domme jonge is er al wat / in bytsje
a foolish boy is he indeed somewhat a little
A foolish boy, he is indeed a bit

This may be related to the fact that these modifiers can also modify NPs of which no adjective has been attributed:

5
Hy is in bytsje / wat in domkop
he is a little somewhat an ass
He is a bit of an ass

extra
Literature

More details can be found in Hoekstra (1990).

References
  • Hoekstra, Jarich1990Frijwat in doarpFriesch Dagblad15-09Taalsnipels 160
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