CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 ．Motivations and scope of this research 8
1.2 ．Research methodology and data collection 10
1.3 ．Feasibility of iconicity in word order 15
1.4 ．A brief sketch of the chapters 19
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 20
2.1 ．Studies on word order at large 22
2.2 ．Previous studies on the order of coordinate idioms 30
2.3 ．Previous studies on the order of prenominal modifiers within a noun phrase 36
2.4 ．Discussion and summary 46
CHAPTER THREE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK：ICONICITY AND ICONICITY PRINCIPLES 49
3.1 ．Arbitrariness versus Iconicity 50
3.2 ．Three principles of Iconicity 59
3.3 ．Summary 69
CHAPTER FOUR AN ICONIC ANALYSIS 0F WORD ORDER WITHIN COORDINATE IDIOMS 71
4.1 ．Definition and general properties 72
4.2 ．The analysis of coordinate idioms from Temporal Order Principle 75
4.3 ．The analysis of coordinate idioms from Spatial Order 83
4.4 ．An analysis of coordinate idioms from Markedness Order 90
4.5 ．Discussion and summary 103
CHAPTER FIVE AN ICONIC ANALYSIS 0F WORD ORDER WITHIN PRENOMINAL MODIFIERS 106
5.1 ．Definitions of modifiers within an English noun phrase 107
5.2 ．Classifications of modifiers 109
5.3 ．Linear order of determiners 113
5.4 ．Linear order of adjectivals as prenominal modifiers 125
5.5 ．Gradability degree of prenominal adjectives 142
5.6 ．Discussion and summary 163
CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION 167
6.1 ．Findings 167
6.2 ．Limitations and further work 172
References 174