Flexibility in English Adjective Order and the Connection to Perceived Changeability

Adjective order is well-established as strict, while the motivation for it is still contested. We hypothesize that there is flexibility in adjective order and a more comprehensive approach to explaining it. Two studies examined the order of a set of semantic adjective categories and the judged changeability over time of those categories (Shape, Material, Pattern, Temporariness), respectively. The first study used a Likert scale of goodness (1-7) to get data on “goodness” judgments for different adjective-category orders. We find that the differences between judgments were significant between all adjective categories except Shape and Pattern. This indicates some constrained, category-specific flexibility in adjective order since there was no significantly preferred order between Shape and Pattern. The second study used a Likert scale of changeability over time (1-7) to get judgments about how likely a trait is to change over time. We find that the Temporariness category was judged most likely to change, the Material category least likely, and the Shape and Pattern categories in the middle, but not significantly different from each other. The findings reflect that there is some constrained variation in adjective order (Shape and Pattern do not have a preferred order) and that adjective order restrictions are related to perceived changeability over time. A new theory is proposed to encompass previous findings within the field in addition to the novel findings of the present studies: adjective categories are scaled on a continuum of “inherentness” that encompasses subjectivity and changeability over time, which is reflected in preferred adjective order.