Comparing Degree-Based and Argumentative Analyses of Even

This paper adds to the discussion of the nature of the scale on which even operates: on which dimension is such a scale based? The paper suggests a comparative analysis of two recent accounts, namely the degree-based approach proposed by Y. Greenberg and the argumentative approach proposed by G. Winterstein. Following the former, even operates on a scale based on a gradable property. We claim that the argumentative approach of Winterstein may be interpreted as operating on the interval argumentative scale, which we suggest in this paper. The comparative analysis of the two approaches is conducted on three different levels: the level of data that they both account for (Sect. 3.2), on the structural level (Sect. 3.3), and on the functional level (3.4). At the end of the paper (cf. Sect. 4) we present some data that we believe to be challenging for both presented approaches; Sect. 5 draws conclusions.