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Hong, Dal Oh. 2014. A Note on the Tendency of Degree-Adverbialization of Prefixes—With Focus on the Prefix Gae-. Korean Journal of Linguistics, 39-1, 231-249. This paper is a language-internal and -external examination of the sematic properties of gae-, a prefix recently used as a degree adverb like element recently. As a result, First, the prefix gae- is not in the process of degrammaticalization. It is part of the tendency of degree-adverialization, a more common phenomenon of semantic change, a process of semantic extension. Second, the prefix gae- tends to decolorize its original negative meaning as it gets degree-adverbialized. Third, the prefix gae- has been changed from a prefix attached to a nominal base into a prefix added to a verbal stem, and now it has attained a status similar to an adverb. The boundaries between adnominals (adnominal constituents), prefixes, and adverbs (adverbial constituents) are not sufficiently firm, and there is a transitional zone where they have certain semantic domains. Fourth, the prefix gae- is in the process of degree-adverbialization, but has not yet established as a complete adverb. This can be confirmed by the aspects of word spacing in Internet-communication language and the degree of its independence. Fifth, the prefix gae- is combined with a wide range of adjectives, and mainly with psych verbs with the features [-active] and [+subjective] among other types of verbs. Sixth, the tendency of degree-adverbialization of the prefix gae- is related to a more common communicative strategy, that is, speakers’ strategy for information focusing. Informants’ intention to focus the value of the information they try to provide attracts the process of the degree-adverbialization of the prefix gae-. (Chung-Ang University)