Rules of prenominal adjective order and the interpretation of “incompatible” adjective pairs

Abstract

In open-ended and forced-choice situations, subjects were asked to interpret phrases containing superficially incompatible adjective pairs, like a slow fast dog. The solutions typically involved an ordered application of the adjectives to the noun, with the one closest the noun being first bracketed with it to form a generic term (a fast kind of dog), the other adjective then modifying that construction in terms of some local condition (e.g., an aging greyhound). The results are taken to demonstrate that English speakers implicitly understand proposed linguistic principles underlying prenominal adjective ordering, in particular the notion that adjectives which refer to intrinsic and/or generic features are placed closest to the noun. A second study demonstrated that breaking the chain of adjectives by inserting a conjunction (a slow but fast dog) largely negated the ordering effect, though there was a reverse tendency for the first-mentioned adjective to assume the generic qualifying role.