8 - Historical explanation of premodifier order

Summary

Introduction

This chapter sets out to explain premodifier order generally, and to explain specific features which have not been explained previously. It complements the previous chapters: they explained premodifier order synchronically; this chapter explains diachronically both the basic structure of zones (chapter 2) and the types of order (chapters 3 to 7).

Taking in turn the periods in the development of English (taken from Hogg 1992–1999), the chapter argues as follows. The unmarked order of premodifiers has evolved (from Old English times onward) gradually, and in stages. In Old English, the order was by part of speech: [adjective] [participle] [genitive noun] [head]. By late Middle English, the part-of-speech order had been reinterpreted as a syntactic one: premodifier [premodifier [premodifier [head]]]. By the sixteenth century, the order had its present structure, by the reanalysis of the syntactic pattern as embodying a semantic pattern: Epithet [Descriptor [Classifier [head]]]. Free order has always existed, but has changed in use. Marked order has evolved in the last century or so. The later changes depended on changes in what semantic structure was possible for premodifiers, and involved individual words changing in zone membership (as they developed new senses). That evolution helps explain general features of premodifier order that also have a synchronic explanation, and explains some specific features that have no good synchronic explanation at all.