Lexical Semantics of Adjectives - CiteSeerX

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corresponding verb entries, and truly-relative adjectives, whose meanings were to be derived from
the corresponding nominal entries.
While big (38) or red (39) are typical--and different--scalars, gradable non-scalars are relative adjectives,
which can be used comparatively when used in a qualitative sense. Thus, in (46i), administrative
decision means a decision by the (appropriate) administration. In (46ii), administrative
style means something like the style typical of administrators. It is interesting to note, in passing,
that contrary to the arguments quoted in Section 1.6 above, the adjective can be used, albeit marginally,
in a predicative position as well without a change of meaning, e.g., (47).
(46) (i) The resettlement awaits an administrative decision.
(ii) His style is more administrative than hers.
(47) The decision the resettlement awaits is administrative.
The (intersecting) subclasses, their numerical strengths, and typical examples are summarized in
(48);
(48) Classes and Subclasses Statistics and Examples:
Categories
Number in
Corpus
Examples
All adjectives 6183 ablaze, administrative, aeronautical,
African, big, red
Gradable adjectives 3636 big, red, administrative
Scalar gradables 3038 big, red
Non-scalar gradables 598 administrative
Non-scalar adjectives 2547 African, ablaze, aeronautical
Proper non-scalars 151 African
Event-related non-scalars 1979 ablaze
True relative non-scalars 417 aeronautical
As we mentioned earlier and will illustrate in Section 3.4, the so-called true relative adjectives (denominals)
turn out to be not so “true” up close. A true relative adjective cannot be used predicatively
and or comparatively, but it is hard to come up with an example which is guaranteed against
that. After all, (49i-ii) are not really ill-formed, and it is hard to imagine a more truly-relative adjective
than aeronautical ‘related to aeronautics.’
(49) (i) His approach to the problem was aeronautical.
(ii) His approach to the problem was much more aeronautical than mine.
Clearly, a productive semantic process takes place here, probably along the lines of (50), and,
therefore, a dynamic rule exists which creates adjective entries for these predicating, pseudo-sca-