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Universal 661: converb prominence ⇔ OV

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 661: converb prominence ⇔ OV

Original
There is a correlation between converb prominence and object-verb word order.
Standardized
IF there is converb prominence, THEN there is OV order.
IF there is OV order, THEN there is converb prominence.
Keywords
converb, order, ov, verb, object
Domain
syntax
Type
mutual implication
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
languages surveyed in Greenberg, Masica, Koenig & van der Auwera
Source
König & van der Auwera 1990: 352, referring to Greenberg 1963 and Masica 1976;
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    1. Converb is a non-finite verb form whose main function is to mark adverbial subordination. 2. Cf. Greenberg’s statement in #493, and its alternative formulation by Sanders in #1404. 3. Stassen (#1032) suggests correlations between the existence of converbs, OV order and other parameters. 4. Masica (1976: 139-140) carefully points out that the correlation between converb prominence and OV word order may be overriden by areal (and other) factors.

    1. May 2020

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