Delimitation as limitation : research into the word order of the adjectival modifier in contemporary Polish

The article examines the problem of migration of so-called classificatory adjectives in modern Polish, that can be used both pre- and post-nominally in NPs, such as e.g.drukarka atramentowa and atramentowa drukarka ‘ink printer’. It contributes to the discussion initiated by J. Linde-Usiekniewicz (2013), the purpose of which is to verify the results of research into reordering of the constituents of Polish NPs, conducted by Cetnarowska, Pysz, Trugman (2011) and Rutkowski, Progovac (2005). It is claimed that an explanation of this phenomenon must take into account the pragmatic determinant of word order flexibility. A number of facts indicate that the following principles play a crucial role in the reordering of NPs: the iconicity principle, more specifically, the "iconicity of sequence" (or "sequential order") which holds that a sequence of forms conforms to the sequence of experience and, in this particular case, the hierarchical categorization; and the principle of presumed absorption which shows a strong correlation between the adjectival sequences in NPs and the presence of the evaluative predicative, for example nowoczesna drukarka atramentowa vs.nowoczesna atramentowa drukarka "modern ink printer".