From a reanalysis of "sort of" in a phrase such as "a sort of merry dance" from noun ("sort") and preposition ("of") from the prepositional phrase "of merry dance" to adverb modifying "merry".
Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by asort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
‘I understand that the district was considered asort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying. ‘An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War.[…]’
2023 April 5,RAIL, number980:
Anne Shaw tells Peter Plisner, "West Midlands Metro metamorphosis", page 32: "Itsort of transforms that location," says Shaw. Pip Dunn, "'196s' giving commuters a smoother ride", page 55: Messy trains are horrible, but you cansort of understand passengers leaving their sandwich wrappers and paper cups if there is nowhere to dispose of them.
