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Universal 515:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 515:

Original
All languages have pronominal categories involving at least three persons and two numbers.
Standardized
All languages have pronominal categories involving at least three persons and two numbers.
Keywords
pronoun, number, person
Domain
inflection
Type
unconditional
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
30 languages of Greenberg 1963 sample
Source
Greenberg 1963: 96, #42
Counterexamples
For the second part (concerning number): Old Javanese (Kawi), Modern Javanese (Sundic, W. Malayo-Polynesian)(mentioned in Uspensky 1965: 212, 1972: 59; for more details see Teselkin 1961: 38, 1965: 45).In Pirahã (Mura, Paezan) there are only three forms of personal pronouns: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. There are no special plural forms for these pronouns. Generally, 1PL and 2PL are expressed periphrastically. Ex. 1Incl. is expressed by the conjunction of 1st and 2nd person forms. (Everett 1986: 280-1)

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP
    1. May 2020

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