Zabójczo, That is Deadly. A Study of Semantic Change Toward Intensification and ‘Excess’ Hyperbole

Abstract

The study analyses the current polysemy of the adverb zabójczo and the evolution of its original meaning ‘lethally.’ The semantic change ‘lethal → harmful → unbearable → impressive → extraordinary’ occurs due to the process of metaphorization and subjectivation. The concrete lexical meaning develops a secondary sense through metonymy, ‘extreme degree.’ The desemantized related expressions, i.e., the adjective zabójczy and the adverb zabójczo, take on the function of a hyperbolic intensifier. The amplifiers tend to be used in two diverse intensification patterns: the adjective as a maximizer, while the adjective as a booster.