adverbs - Much/Many Fewer?


I've tried without success to find the answer to this question for a while.


I thought many was correctly used in the phrase "many fewer". However, I read this explanation to the contrary:



Many is an adjective, while much is an adverb. As such, many cannot modify the adjective fewer; only an adverb can modify an adjective. Much fewer is simply more correct than many fewer, despite its cacophony. Many modifies a noun: many apples. Much modifies the adjective: much fewer apples or far fewer apples.


(Anonymous, Wed, 08/17/2005 - 14:08 – comment on "Book Review: In Search of Stupidity: Over 20 Years of High-Tech Marketing Disasters" by Marco Fioretti)



Is this explanation correct?




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