Universal 1017: verb-initial ⇒ N Gen

Universal 1017: verb-initial ⇒ N Gen

Original

… verb-initial languages do exhibit a clear preference for N Gen order.

Standardized

IF basic order is verb-initial, THEN genitive tends to follow the noun.

Keywords

order, verb-initial, noun, attributive

Domain

syntax

Type

implication

Status

achronic

Quality

statistical

Basis

sample of 506 languages

Source

Dryer 1986: 102

Counterexamples

Verb-initial & Gen N: Northern Tepehuan (Tepiman, Uto-Aztecan), Copainalá Zoque (Mixe-Zoque) (Dryer 1999)