书稿从认知语言学的象似性视角出发，探讨英、汉语成对语以及英汉语的名词短语前置修饰语语序排列的规律。通过对名词短语前置修饰语语义特征的概念化描写，发现修饰语与中心语的语言结构与其概念结构密切相关，即修饰语与中心语概念结构越紧密，二者语言距离越近；修饰语与中心语概念结构越疏远，二者语言距离越远，从而使我们对名词短语前置修饰语语序了解更多维化、全面化。

林璐（1975.11-），山东烟台人，英语语言学博士，大连外国语大学英语学院副教授，硕士生导师。硕士、博士分别毕业于山东大学、韩国国立庆尚大学。现为兰卡斯特大学访问学者。主要研究领域：认知语言学、语义学等。

CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION1.1. Motivations and scope of this research1.2. Research methodology and data collection1.3. Feasibility of iconicity in word order1.4. A brief sketch of the chapters
CHAPTER TWOLITERATURE REVIEW2.1. Studies on word order at large2.2. Previous studies on the order of coordinate idioms2.3. Previous studies on the order of prenominal modifierswithin a noun phrase2.4. Discussion and summary
CHAPTER THREETHEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: ICONICITY ANDICONICITY PRINCIPLES3.1. Arbitrariness versus Iconicity3.2. Three principles of Iconicity3.3. Summary
CHAPTER FOURAN ICONIC ANALYSIS OF WORD ORDER WITHINCOORDINATE IDIOMS4.1. Definition and general properties4.2. The analysis of coordinate idioms from TemporalOrder Principle4.3. The analysis of coordinate idioms from Spatial Order4.4. An analysis of coordinate idioms from Markedness Order4.5. Discussion and summary
CHAPTER FIVEAN ICONIC ANALYSIS OF WORD ORDER WITHINPRENOMINAL MODIFIERS5.1. Definitions of modifiers within an English noun phrase5.2. Classifications of modifiers5.3. Linear order of determiners5.4. Linear order of adjectivals as prenominal modifiers5.5. Gradability degree of prenominal adjectives5.6. Discussion and summary
CHAPTER SIXCONCLUSION6.1. Findings6.2. Limitations and further work
References