Nick H wrote:
I have also said that, if you want to include the possibility of zero, the usual usage is "few if any". The language specifically allows for it, and you do not have to twist the definition of "few" to make it include zero. It doesn't.
You and mahakavi seem to be much more sure about this, so let me state this just for completeness of discussion.
I am not twisting anything, I am just reporting how I have known it to be used, in the narrow set of real world circumstances I have outlined.
Remember how the three degrees of adjectives, "positive", "comparative" and "superlative" are related to each other and how a statement can be restated in any of forms without changing the meaning?
For example: "X is the most creative student in the class", and "There is no one in the class who is as creative as X is" are equivalent.
Now, how do you transform "X is
arguably the most creative student in the class" or "X is
probably the most creative student in the class"
"There is no one who is as creative as X" is not correct.
The following two are acceptable.
"a few students, if any, are as creative as X"
"few students are as creative as X"
If you agree that the superlative form allows for the possibility of X to be in the sole possession of first rank in the creativity scale, you should agree that the second form also allows for the possibility of X to be in the sole possession of that.