3 ms·

#1 Would suggest to me a lawyer who is Chinese and specialises in vegetarians someone while #2 would suggest a layer who is Chinese (or who deals in Chinese law

• buss 13y ago
  Yes, that is also how I interpreted the two phrases.
• proofofconcept 13y ago
  There needs to be a comma in between 'Vegetarian' and 'Chinese' in both phrases to clarify that whichever is the former modifies 'lawyer' as opposed to the latter.
  • elbear 13y ago
    No, because the two adjectives aren't from the same category, are they? That would be the only reason why you would use a comma.
  • vorg 13y ago
    A hyphen also helps... A Chinese vegetarian lawyer= a lawyer, who is both ethnic Chinese and vegetarian, where the set of vegetarian lawyers is more generally recognized than the set of Chinese lawyers A Chinese vegetarian-lawyer= ethnic Chinese who practises law of vegetarian issues ("vegetarian" is a compound word, i.e. spoken quicker, at higher pitch, and with less gap before the following word) A Chinese, vegetarian, lawyer= an ethnic Chinese who just happens to also be a vegetarian, ("vegetarian" is a non-restrictive phrase, i.e. spoken at lower pitch, with a longer gap both before and after)
• bane 13y ago
  Even better, #2 is unclear if the person practices Chinese law or is Ethnically Chinese.