Universal 572: obligatory (in)definiteness marking ⇒ obligatory plural marking (noun)

Universal 572: obligatory (in)definiteness marking ⇒ obligatory plural marking (noun)

Original

If a language has obligatory marking of (in)definiteness, then it has obligatory marking of nominal plurality (but not vice versa).

Standardized

IF there is obligatory marking of (in)definiteness, THEN there will be obligatory marking of nominal plurality (but not vice versa).

Keywords

definiteness, number, plural, noun

Domain

inflection, syntax

Type

implication

Status

achronic

Quality

absolute

Basis

English, Russian (both Indo-European), Hebrew (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic), Georgian (S. Caucasian), Japanese (Japanese-Ryukyuan)

Source

Gil 1987: 254-269

Counterexamples