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The Use of Adjective Intensification by Najdi Dialect Speakers in Riyadh

My PhD project investigates the linguistic devices employed for adjective amplification (e.g., "very," "completely"), moderation (e.g., "a little," "sort of"), and emphasis (e.g., "truly," "honestly") within the Najdi dialect spoken in the central region of Saudi Arabia. The study is based on data collected through interviews conducted with Najdi dialect speakers in Riyadh. The investigation entails exploring the features and characteristics of the intensification system, including the devices used, their intensification function (following the model proposed by Quirk et al., 1985), their frequency, as well as their iteration and co-occurrence patterns. I also operationalize the variationist framework to examine patterns of these elements across linguistic and social parameters which is a significant aspect in the study.