Universal 136:
- Original
[IF one of the relations of (i) alienability, (ii) inalienability, and (iii) classification is realized formally by a certain construction, THEN no relations below it on the hierarchy may be realized by a different construction used for relations higher on the hierarchy.LIKEWISE:
IF a particular construction encodes a semantic relation of a certain type, THEN no construction for a relation below it will encode a semantic relation higher on the scale.]- Standardized
- IF one of the relations of (i) alienability, (ii) inalienability, and (iii) classification is realized formally by a certain construction, THEN no relations below it on the hierarchy may be realized by a different construction used for relations higher on the hierarchy.
LIKEWISE:
IF a particular construction encodes a semantic relation of a certain type, THEN no construction for a relation below it will encode a semantic relation higher on the scale. - Keywords
- possession, alienable, inalienable, classification, compound, head-marking, dependent-marking
- Domain
- morphology, syntax, semantics
- Type
- implicational hierarchy
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- absolute
- Basis
- 20 languages from 15 different families: Mandarin Chinese, Burmese (Sino-Tibetan), Manam, Tolai, Paamese (Austronesian), Turkish, Mongolian (Altaic), Ewe (Tano-Congo), Acholi (West Nilotic), Kpelle (Mande), Gooniyandi (Bunuban, Australian), Nyulnyul (Nyulnyulan, Australian), Yidin, Jaru (both Pama-Nyungan, Australian), Fore (East Central Highlands), Maisin (unclassified), Amele (Madang, Trans-New Guinea), Imbambura Quechua (Andean), Tzutujil (Mayan), Kiowa (Kiowa-Tanoan), English (Germanic, IE)
- Source
- Chappel & McGregor 1989: 31-32
- Counterexamples
CLASSIFICATION refers to the phenomenon whereby the dependent nominal indicates the type of entity that is being referred to by the head nominal. That is, it is the embodiment of the type-token relation within the nominal phrase, e.g. ‘shepherd girl’ (¤ ‘the shepherd’s girl’) (Chappell & McGregor 1989: 28-30).