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Universal 739:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 739:

Original
The Material-Gender Universal:
In a split-adjective language, items which belong to the adjectival categories of Material and Gender will be on the nonverbal side of the split.
Standardized
IF there is a nominal-verbal split in encoding property concepts, THEN items which belong to the adjectival categories of Material and Gender will be be encoded by the non-verbal strategy.
Keywords
word class, adjective, property concepts, material, gender
Domain
inflection, syntax, semantics
Type
no genuine implication; rather: provided that
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
sample of 410 languages in Stassen 1997
Source
Stassen 1997: 5.2
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    In a SPLIT-ADJECTIVE language some property concept predicates will always receive a verbal encoding, whereas other property concept predicates will always be encoded by a nominal strategy.Seen as part of The Adjective Hierarchy (#741), the implicational idea is obvious.

    1. May 2020

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