Universal 813:

Universal 813:

Original

In regard to sibilants there is a strong tendency for different types of sibilants not to combine. If it occurs, then it is with morpheme boundary.

Standardized

Sibilants of different types tend not to cluster, or only across morpheme boundaries.

Keywords

consonant cluster, final, sibilant, morpheme boundary

Domain

phonology, morphology

Type

unconditional

Status

achronic

Quality

statistical

Basis

sample of 104 languages in Greenberg 1964

Source

Greenberg 1964 [Greenberg 1965: 17-18, Greenberg 1978e: 257]

Counterexamples

1. Shilha (Berber) (Greenberg 1965: 18, 1978e: 257). 2. Dialectal Hungarian does have the proscribed sequence of two sibilants in forms like olvaszc [olvass] (you (are) reading), where -sz is a 2nd person suffix. It is true on the other hand, that most dialects and the standard language use a suppletive suffix -Vl after sibilants, here olvasol. (Hetzron 1980: 263)