[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by poli

Auxiliary adverb is better (an adverb to embellish another adverb like muy) may be a better term.

Think of especially as something similar to very. The word specially does not correspond to very--especially does.

Originally Posted by poli

1. She treats her friends specially.
2. She treats her friends especially well....... It can be very.
3. The meal was made specially
4. The meal was made especially for you..... It cannot be very.

The conclusion I get is that especially doesn't mean very.

And I don't think auxiliary adverb is a proper term for especially, since in the examples you gave once works modifying another adverb (2. especially well), and once works modifying a verb (4. made especially). The conclusion is that it works both, as much linked to an adverb as linked to a verb, as any other adverb.

Anyway, I had never heard before of the term auxiliary adverb, and Google only gives 84 entries for it, not all of them related to this subject.

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