Adverbs of essence 89
In (8) all markers of insecurity, hedging, toning down have been underlined. It can
be seen that together they create an utterance which is maximally intersubjective,
opening up towards the addressee. The repetition of all of them shows the extent
to which they have become routinised (cf. Kärkkäinen 2003 on the routinisation
of I think). Basically clearly seems to follow that path.
Another example of this routinised hedging basically in co-occurrence with
other downtoners or softeners is (9).
(9) A: the worst bit is Lincoln Avenue and Meadway, once you get to Meadway
it ’s sort of like you know it’s like
B: Yeah, sure. Yes.
A: that is, well that is, and that’s like the longest, even
B: Mm
A: like the longest bit
B: yeah
A: cos the rest of it is just basically straight across basically you’re just cutting
across
A: Oh I see
A: Well you well basically all the ma, there’s like three of four main roads
and we just cut straight across it like. (BNC, spoken, conversation)
In (9) basically co-occurs with the discourse markers sort of and like, both of
which express an approximation, which avoids full commitment on the part of
the speaker.
3.2 Essentially
The core sense of essentially is ‘in essence’, and the adverb expresses that what is
qualified as such is an inherent property or characteristic of the entity or process
(Butler 2008a: 156). Butler (2008a: 155) also points out that essentially is mainly
concerned with matters of similarity. A few examples will suffice.
(10) We have to find criteria for anorexia nervosa which essentially means er loss
of body weight or fifteen percent your normal preoccupation with weight, and
loss of your periods for three months and a morbid fear of gaining weight.
And while you may argue that those criteria are too strict, those are criteria
that are used in a medical sense. (BNC, spoken, broadcast discussion)
The speaker expresses by essentially that the criteria mentioned here are inherent
properties by which anorexia is medically defined. There may be other uses of the
term or additional symptoms which occur but they are not the essence of the ill-
ness as defined in medicine.