Formal Approaches to Semantic Microvariation: Adverbial ...

As shown below, like souvent, rarement and jamais can take scope over trois allemands.
This suggests that rarement and jamais are not degree adverbs.
(73) a. Trois allemands sont rarement/jamais venus
three germans are rarely/never come
‘Three Germans rarely/never visited you’
chez
at
toi
you
b. Il est rarement/jamais venu trois allemands chez toi
There is rarely came three germans at you
‘There rarely/never came three Germans to your place’
Similarly, while souvent can scope over a weak DP in object position like deux kilos
d’olives ‘two kilos of olives’, peu cannot.
(74) a. Jean achète souvent deux kilos d’olives
Jean buys often two kilos of olives
‘Jean often buys two kilos of olives’
b. *Jean achète peu deux kilos d’olives
Jean buys little two kilos of olives
As expected, rarement and jamais pattern with souvent, not peu.
(75) a. Jean achète jamais deux kilos d’olives
Jean buys never two kilos of olives
‘Jean never buys two kilos of olives’
b. Jean achète rarement deux kilos d’olives
Jean buys rarely two kilos of olives
‘Jean rarely buys two kilos of olives’
Finally, as briefly mentioned in the previous section and discussed in Obenauer (1983;
1994), and Doetjes (2007:709), degree quantifiers like beaucoup and peu take on ‘intensifier’
readings when paired with verbs taking degree arguments (76).
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