Evaluational Adjectives*

The literature on predicates of personal taste (PPTs) has focused on a surprisingly limited range of expressions. This narrow focus has led to problematic theoretical conclusions about the syntax and semantics. I argue that PPTs are an instance of a more interesting general category of (what I call) evaluational predicates. Like other gradable adjectives, PPTs are sensitive to a relevant degree standard in the positive form. However, I show that PPTs give rise to certain distinctive phenomenawhich persist in the comparative— specifically, phenomena concerning discourse (dis)agreement, vagueness, and embedding under ‘find’. I show that these features of PPTs are shared by a wide range of broadly evaluational adjectives, including (e.g.) aesthetic adjectives, moral adjectives, and even epistemic adjectives, among others. To capture this I provide a degree semantics which treats evaluational adjectives as denoting contextsensitive measure functions. What distinguishes evaluational adjectives from gradable adjectives like ‘tall’ is that the adjective itself, and not simply the positive form, is context-sensitive. Contrary to what is often assumed, this sort of unified context-sensitive semantics for evaluational adjectives can be neutral on broader philosophical issues about subjectivity, attitude-dependence, realism, etc. However, I show that speakers’ substantive assumptions about these issues can lead to certain differences among evaluational adjectives in patterns of use. Finally, considering the broader range of evaluational adjectives poses problems for existing treatments of the licensing conditions of ‘find’— a common diagnostic of putative “subjective” expressions. Instead, I tentatively suggest that what characterizes felicitous embedding under ‘find’ is a certain sort of (what I call) “context-oriented” use of context-sensitive complements. *Thanks to Daniel Rothschild and audiences at University College London and the University of Birmingham for helpful discussion.