Ordering of taboo adjectives

The productivity of an adj ordering rule based on definiteness of denotation was assessed by comparing preferred orderings of taboo & nontaboo adjs in NPs for 52 Coll Ss. Taboo adjs were just as stable as nontaboo adjs in their preferred position in adj ordering. When given instructions to interpret the taboo adjs denotatively, Ss preferred them closer to the N than when the adjs were interpreted connotatively, the latter being the typical interpretation given no instructions. Results support the notion that a function determinant of adj ordering is the definiteness of denotation. 2 Tables. Modified HA