If a language has two modifier constructions that differ in linear order and in linguistic distance, the construction with a prenominal modifier will display the shorter linguistic distance.
Standardized
If a language has two modifier constructions that differ in linear order and in linguistic distance, the construction with a prenominal modifier will display the shorter linguistic distance.
In Hausa (Chadic, Afro-Asiatic), a prenominal adjective requires a linker but the postnominal adjective does not. In Albanian (Albanian, IE), prenominal adjectives are „substantivized“ and express case, gender and number, but postnominal adjectives express only gender and number (Croft & Deligianni 2001).In sum, phonological reduction or prenominal modifier is found in 100% of the six cases in the sample, and a shorter linguistic distance is found in 91% (21) of 23 cases in the sample
Following Haiman (1983, 1985), syntactic integration can be measured in terms of LINGUISTIC DISTANCE. The linguistic distance between two elements in a construction, such as a modifier and a noun in an noun phrase, is determined by whether or not there is a third morpheme linking the two elements in the construction, and the type boundary between the elements (morpheme boundary or word boundary).
Following Haiman (1983, 1985), syntactic integration can be measured in terms of LINGUISTIC DISTANCE. The linguistic distance between two elements in a construction, such as a modifier and a noun in an noun phrase, is determined by whether or not there is a third morpheme linking the two elements in the construction, and the type boundary between the elements (morpheme boundary or word boundary).