Re: Adjective page

Jeff Jones wrote:
-

>On Fri, 7 Sep 2001 08:58:30 +0100, Dan Jones <feuchard@...> wrote:
>
>> OK, from one of the exercises on the page David Bell pointed us to, we
>> have an answer "an handsome slim canadian snowboarder". As an English
>> speaker, I think "a slim handsome canadian snowboarder" sounds a lot more
>> natural. Any opinions??
>>
>>Dan
>
>I agree (but with a comma after slim).

The point of the sequence without commas is that it creates a single
phonological phrase (main stress on _snówboarder_); inserting commas breaks
that up, and to me suggests almost an afterthought or parenthesis.

It also seems to me that the further away from the head noun, the more
possibility of free ordering there is; also, _slim_ and _handsome_ perhaps
are variable because they occupy the same slot -- "physical appearance" or
somesuch.  Substitute something more specific for "slim" and I think the
order becomes less flexible-- "a handsome red-haired C. sb."  or "a handsome
20-year-old C. sb."

Just my guesses.