What is the reason behind the royal order of adjectives?

Asked Jun 19 '16 at 18:47

Active Jul 13 '23 at 16:30

Viewed 97 times

Can anyone explain the reason behind the order of adjectives? Why do we say

the small brown antique house

Rather than

the brown small antique house

the antique brown small house

I'm familiar with the Royal Order, but I'm looking for some type of reasoning behind this consistency. Why are adjectives ordered in a certain way? What is the history behind the order?

edited Jul 13 '23 at 14:49

Heartspring

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asked Jun 19 '16 at 18:47

Shlomo Green

The purported duplicate does not address the reason/s behind the 'royal order', though answers there address the plethora of guidelines and exceptions in the ordering of sequential adjectives in great detail. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 17 '20 at 15:05
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Looking for reasons why language is the way it is, is mostly a waste of time. Language is. In most cases nobody designed it, or decided that it should be that way. – Colin Fine Jan 17 '20 at 17:47
2

Does this answer your question? Why do we order our adjectives in certain ways: "big, blue house" rather than "blue, big house"? (Refer to this meta-post to clarify/discuss) – Heartspring Jul 15 '23 at 14:23

What is the reason behind the royal order of adjectives?

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