On the ambidirectionality of Thai mid-scale predicates: How to get more ‘warm’ by getting less ‘hot’

This paper presents new data on the semantic interaction between gradable predicates and the Thai particle kʰɯ̂n. When the particle composes with rɔ́ːn (hot) and nǎːw (cold), it describes temperature increases and decreases, respectively, in much the same way as English get hotter and get colder. However, when it composes with so-called mid-scale predicates like ʔùn (warm), it can describe increases or decreases, as long as the change is toward temperatures described as ʔùn (warm). We first consider two types of analyses where (i) ʔùn has an inherent central orientation much like English mild or (ii) kʰɯ̂n describeschangesoriented toward the threshold of the gradable predicate it combines with. We argue against analyses of type (i) and (ii) and show that they predict unattested interpretations. We offer a semantic account for kʰɯ̂n in which the particle essentially picks an alternative gradable predicate to the one it composes with, and describes changes whose degree ends up lower than where it started on the alternative predicate’s scale.