Re: more on adjectives

>From: Brad Coon <bcoon@...>
>Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 22:45:44 -0600
>
>A problem that I find crossing my mind from time to time, deals
>with the ordering of adjectives.  Consider that of the following
>statements are true about my dog.
>He is black.
>He is white.
>He is old.
>He is a hunting dog.
>He is stupid.
>Combining all of these allows only one unmarked order for me,
>He is a stupid, old, black and white hunting dog.
>
>So a couple of questions, do other native speakers of English also
>find this THE acceptable order or do other orders feel equally valid?
>
The only other order which I would accept at all would be

"He is an old, stupid, black and white hunting dog."

And it would be a DISTANT second place which strongly emphasises the quality
"old".  I find that I have to drag the word "old" out for an extra long
time.


>Secondly, have any of you given any thought to ordering adjectives in
>your languages?
This is something I have never explicitly explored in my langs.  Guess I
should though.

Adam

>Brad Coon
>http://www.geocities.com/nowapan/

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