Can relational adjectives really express any relation? An onomasiological perspective

The article calls into question the well-foundedness of the distinction between relational and qualitative adjectives. The term 'reltional adjective' is traced back to Arabic grammar. The meaning of relational adjectives is claimed to be constrained only by competing means of expression. In the final section, an onomasiological model is sketched that explains how speakers choose among such competing patterns.