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I've heard "very nature" as in:
It's the very nature of our relationship.
and "very essence" as in:
It's the very essence of my being.
but can one use "very consequence"?
As in:
It's the very consequence of my existence.
More generally, what nouns can one use after "very"? Is it all idiomatic or are there rules which govern the phrasing?
Yes it makes perfect sense.
It's a literary device for emphasis.
The suggestion is it is not just the consequence, or any consequence, but in fact the exact consequence.
More generally, what nouns can one use after "very"? Is it all idiomatic or are there rules which govern the phrasing?
The use of very in this way is not particularly idiomatic, this is more of a literary device.
See here, for other examples of this usage:
