Big Blue Ball
I have a theory about why "Big Blue Ball" sounds right and "Blue Big Ball" does not. It goes back to 1066, when the Normans invaded England.
After the Norman invasion, a great deal of French, (and consequently, Greek and Latin-derived words) were absorbed into the English language. So was some grammar.
In French, normally the adjective comes after the noun, as in"le ciel bleu" (the blue sky.) However, some special adjectives always come in front of the noun, such as "grand" (big) and "petit" (small). For example, in the phrase "Le Petit Chaperon rouge" (little red riding hood). we have both "petit" which comes before the noun and "rouge" (red) which comes after.
Unlike in English, these special adjectives are specified in French grammar. (See Tex's French Grammar for more information.)
How could we test the hypothesis that the influx of French made the construction "the blue big ball" sound awkward? We could look at pre-Norman English and see if the same words that come before the adjective in French used to be placed in any particular order in English.
An alternative explanation for this phenomenon could be the universal grammar structure which Chomsky posited that we have in our brains. Something about "bigness" could be hard-wired as more important than "blueness".
After the Norman invasion, a great deal of French, (and consequently, Greek and Latin-derived words) were absorbed into the English language. So was some grammar.
In French, normally the adjective comes after the noun, as in"le ciel bleu" (the blue sky.) However, some special adjectives always come in front of the noun, such as "grand" (big) and "petit" (small). For example, in the phrase "Le Petit Chaperon rouge" (little red riding hood). we have both "petit" which comes before the noun and "rouge" (red) which comes after.
Unlike in English, these special adjectives are specified in French grammar. (See Tex's French Grammar for more information.)
How could we test the hypothesis that the influx of French made the construction "the blue big ball" sound awkward? We could look at pre-Norman English and see if the same words that come before the adjective in French used to be placed in any particular order in English.
An alternative explanation for this phenomenon could be the universal grammar structure which Chomsky posited that we have in our brains. Something about "bigness" could be hard-wired as more important than "blueness".
Labels: French linguistics grammar
12:12 PM
