This paper discusses the connection between the relative subjectivity of an adjectival premodifier and the definiteness of the NP in which the adjective is used from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives. First it will be shown that there is a strong tendency in Present-Day English for subjective adjectives, such as significant, useful or pleasant, to be used in indefinite constructions. This tendency is even stronger when an overt signal of subjectivity is present: the introduction of a degree modifier, such as very, absolutely or totally, further increases the proportion of indefinite NPs.
Corpus data also suggest that this tendency can be seen in earlier varieties of English, which makes (in)definiteness a promising tool for diachronic research. Specifically, we may be able to trace the development of subjective adjectives by studying the definiteness of the NPs in which they are used. Case studies of participles (e.g. intriguing, outstanding) and nouns (e.g. key, dynamite, fun, mammoth) illustrate the point. The studies suggest that when the new meaning evolves gradually through pragmatic inferencing, it may take several decades before the pattern favouring indefinite constructions emerges (as in outstanding; ‘stand out (positively)’ > ‘excellent’; key, ‘[t]hat which serves to open up, disclose, or explain’ > ‘crucial’). By contrast, when the change is sudden (e.g. mammoth; ‘a large animal related to the elephant’ > ‘fascinating’), the new meaning/usage is more common in indefinite constructions from the very beginning.
Denison, David. 2007. Playing tag with category boundaries. In Anneli Meurman-Solin & Arja Nurmi (eds.) Annotating Variation and Change (Studies in Variation, Contacts and Change in English, 1) University of Helsinki: Department of English. http://www.helsinki.fi/varieng/journal/volumes/01/denison/
Traugott, Elizabeth Closs. 2010. (Inter)subjectivity and (inter)subjectification: A reassessment. In Kristin Davidse, Lieven Vandelanotte & Hubert Cuyckens (eds.). Subjectification, intersubjectification and grammaticalization. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.