intensifier
Meaning
A word, especially an adverb or adjective, that gives force or emphasis to another word or phrase.
A thing or person that makes something more intense.
Structure
Usage
The word "absolutely" is often used as an intensifier before adjectives like "fantastic."
In the laboratory, they added a chemical intensifier to the solution to deepen its color.
"Very" is perhaps the most common intensifier in the English language.
Etymology
The word "intensifier" is a modern English formation built on the verb "intensify." Its core is the Latin root tendere, meaning "to stretch," which evolved into the English word "tense." The prefix "in-" is used here in an intensive sense, so "intensify" literally means "to stretch tightly" or "to make more tense." The agent suffix "-ifier" (from Latin -facere, to make) was then appended, creating a noun for "something that makes [something else] more intense." This logical construction perfectly captures the function of a grammatical intensifier, which stretches or heightens the meaning of the word it modifies.
Analysis
- in: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "in, into, toward, on," used here in an intensive sense. - tens: From Latin tensus, the past participle stem of tendere (to stretch, strain), a direct substring of the modern spelling. - ifier: A suffix derived from Latin -ficare (a combining form of facere, to make), via French -fier, forming agent nouns meaning "a person or thing that makes."