The Quantifier 'Un Poco'
Anatomy of an Attenuation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4151/S0718-09342025011901352Keywords:
un poco, cuantificación, atenuación, acotableAbstract
The evaluative or gradative quantifier un poco has been addressed in the literature as an expression that can convey 'quantification' or 'attenuation' values in discourse. The literature suggests that these values depend on a semantic or pragmatic dimension of analysis and on whether the expression affects the propositional content of the statement. This study, however, argues that the interpretation of un poco as a quantifier or attenuator depends on the nature of the unit affected by the expression. Thus, if it modifies a property denoted by an adjective, an adverb, a verb, or the duration of an event, un poco conveys a 'quantification' value. In contrast, if it influences the process or phases of an event, as well as the illocutionary force of a speech act, it conveys 'attenuation' values. Furthermore, this study argues that the scope of un poco is always related to a unit that possesses the [+acotable] feature, which it delimits, demonstrating that its function as a gradative or evaluative quantifier remains active in all discourse contexts in which it appears.
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