Universals Archive
A database of proposed crosslinguistic laws and tendencies in grammar across the world’s languages. 2,029 published entries.
2,017 entries · page 33 of 41
| # | Standardized / Original | Domain | Type | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1616 | Whenever basic order is SOV, IF the basic order of modifier and noun is reversed to noun-before-modifier, THEN there tends to be agreement between noun and modifier. | inflection, syntax | implication | order, SOV, agreement, NP, attribution, noun, relative clause, adjective, numeral<br> |
| 1617 | Whenever basic order is VO, IF the modifier precedes the noun, THEN there tends to be agreement between noun and modifier. | inflection, syntax | implication | order, VO, agreement, NP, modifier, attribution, relative clause, adjective |
| 1618 | IF person agreement of the verb is of the grammatical type, THEN it is with just the transitive subject. | inflection, syntax | implication | agreement, person |
| 1619 | IF there is person agreement on the verb of the ambiguous type with the object, THEN there is ambiguous-type person agreement also with the transitive subject. | inflection, syntax | implication | agreement, person, subject, object |
| 1620 | IF null subjects is permissible (aka subject pro-drop), THEN the inflectional paradigms of verbs are morphologically uniform, and vice versa. | inflection, syntax | mutual implication | subject pro-drop, verb, paradigm |
| 1621 | IF there are numeral classifiers distinguishing anything else, THEN there are numeral classifiers distinguishing animate/human and inanimate/nonhuman. For animate/human class: IF a numeral classifier system distinguishes objects by their sex, THEN it also distinguishes them by social status (including kinship relations). For inanimate/nonhuman class: IF a numeral classifier system distinguishes objects by orientation, THEN it also distinguishes them by shape. IF a numeral classifier system distinguishes objects by their rigidity, THEN it also distinguishes them by shape. IF a numeral classifier system distinguishes objects by their nature/function, THEN it also distinguishes them by shape. |
inflection, syntax, semantics | implicational hierarchy | numeral classifier, animacy<br> |
| 1622 | IF there are classifiers for edible possessed items, THEN there are for nonedible ones, and vice versa. For the edible class: IF a possessive classifier system distinguishes objects by state of food, THEN it also distinguishes them by manner of ingestion. For the nonedible class: IF a possessive classifier system distinguishes objects by purpose or function, THEN it also distinguishes them by value. |
inflection, syntax, semantics | implication | possessive classifier<br> |
| 1623 | IF there are predicate classifiers for anything else, THEN there are predicate classifiers distinguishing animate and inanimate. IF for animates there are predicate classifiers for anything other than Posture, THEN there are predicate classifiers for Posture. IF for inanimates there are predicate classifiers in terms of Individuation and/or Rigidity, THEN there are predicate classifiers in terms of Shape/Orientation. |
inflection, syntax, semantics | implication | predicate classifier, animacy<br> |
| 1624 | IF there are noun class distinctions for anything else, THEN there is a noun class distinction in terms of animacy. IF for humans/animates there are distinctions other than for sex gender, THEN there is a distinction in terms of sex gender. IF or nonhumans/inanimates there are distinctions other than Nature or Individuation, THEN there is a distinction in terms of Nature or Individuation. |
inflection, syntax, semantics | implication | noun class, animacy |
| 1625 | IF there is a distinct word class of adjective, THEN numerals tend to combine with nouns directly, without a sortal classifier. OR BY CONTRAPOSITION: IF numerals do not combine with nouns directly but need a sortal classifier, THEN there is no distinct word class of adjective. |
syntax | implication | word class, adjective, numeral, noun, classifier |
| 1626 | IF there is a distinct word class of adjectives, THEN nouns are characterised by the feature [+ Shape]. | syntax, semantics | implication | word class, adjective, noun |
| 1627 | In numeral classifier languages: When concrete objects are counted, the numeral always occurs with the appropriate classifier. |
syntax, semantics<br> | no genuine implication; rather: provided that | numeral classifier, numeral |
| 1628 | In languages with double numeral systems, there is a correlative tendency of the A form to be syntactically dependent [i.e. this form cannot stand alone but must be immediately followed by the item counted], and the B form to be independent. | syntax, semantics | unconditional | double numeral systems |
| 1630 | In languages with double numeral systems: IF the numeral of the A set is used, THEN the item counted or measured tends to be in the singular. |
morphology, syntax | no genuine implication; rather: provided that | double numeral system, number, singular |
| 1631 | IF there is a double object causative, THEN there is an alternative causative construction. | syntax | implication | causative, double object |
| 1632 | IF basic order is VOS, OVS, or OSV and there is a double object construction, THEN the patient in that clause precedes the other object. OR IF in a basic word order object precedes subject and there is a double object construction, THEN the patient in that clause precedes the other object. |
syntax | implication | order, VOS, OVS, OSV, double object, patient |
| 1633 | IF basic order is Topic-before-Focus, THEN the secondary topic precedes the focus. Correspondingly: IF subject precedes object in a basic word order, THEN causee, recipient, and benefactive [being secondary topics] precede the patient in double object constructions. |
syntax | implication | order, SOV, SVO, VSO, topic, focus, secondary topic, double object, causee, recipient, benefactive, patient |
| 1634 | IF basic order is Focus-before-Topic, THEN the secondary topic will follow the focus. Correspondingly: IF object precedes subject in a basic word order, THEN causee, recipient, and benefactive [being secondary topics] follow the patient in double object constructions. |
syntax | implication | order, VOS, OVS, OSV, topic, focus, secondary topic, causee, recipient, benefactive, patient |
| 1635 | IF there is polysynthesis, THEN there will be no NP reflexive. | morphology, syntax | implication | polysynthesis, anaphor, pronoun, reflexive |
| 1636 | IF there is polysynthesis, THEN there will be no non-referential quantified NPs (quantifiers serving as NPs on their own). |
morphology, syntax | implication | polysynthesis, quantifier |
| 1637 | IF there is polysynthesis, THEN interrogative phrases are constrained to appear in clause-initial position (through WH-movement). | morphology, syntax | implication | polysynthesis, interrogative, wh-movement |
| 1638 | IF basic order is verb-final, THEN there will be no WH-movement, and vice versa. | syntax | mutual implication | order, verb-final, Wh-movement |
| 1639 | IF there is polysynthesis, THEN there will be no non-finite verb forms / no non-finite subordinate clauses. | morphology, syntax | implication | polysynthesis, finiteness, verb |
| 1640 | IF there is productive noun incorporation, THEN there will be head-marking. | morphology, syntax | implication | noun incorporation, head-marking |
| 1641 | IF there are relational preverbs owing to preposition incorporation, THEN basic order tends to be verb-final. | morphology, syntax | implication | order, verb-final, preverb, preposition incorporation |
| 1642 | IF basic order is head-final, THEN there are no serial verb constructions. | syntax | implication | order, head-final, serial verb |
| 1643 | Reflexive markers tend to develop into decausative markers, but not the other way round. | inflection, syntax | target < source | reflexive marker, decausative |
| 1644 | Evolution of semantic functions of subjective reflexive markers: semantic reflexivity > ‘partitive object’ and/or autocausative > absolute and/or reciprocal. (a) RMs with the primary semantic reflexive function are the starting point of evolution, (b) RMs with the semantic reflexive and "partitive object" and/or autocausative functions are in the advanced stage of evolution; (c) RMs with a complete range of semantic subjective functions may be regarded as "mature", and (d) RMs lacking the semantic reflexive (and next to it "partitive object") function(s) are in the final, decaying stage of development. |
syntax, semantics | target < source | reflexive |
| 1645 | The principal functions within the objective recessive diathesis develop in the following succession: decausative > passive > impersonal. Languages with the reflexive impersonal invariably display the other two objective functions of reflexive markers, and languages with the reflexive (personal) passive display decausative reflexive verbs, but not necessarily the reflexive impersonal. The principal functions within the objective recessive diathesis develop in the following succession: decausative > passive > impersonal. Languages with the reflexive impersonal invariably display the other two objective functions of reflexive markers, and languages with the reflexive (personal) passive display decausative reflexive verbs, but not necessarily the reflexive impersonal. |
inflection, syntax | target < source | reflexive, diathesis, passive, impersonal |
| 1646 | IF there are transitive reflexive verbs, THEN there are objective reflexive verbs. IF there are objective reflexive verbs, THEN there are subjective reflexive verbs. |
inflection, syntax | implicational hierarchy | reflexive |
| 1647 | IF there are subordinating serial verb structures, THEN basic order will be SVO. | syntax | implication | order, SVO, serial verb |
| 1648 | IF basic order is VSO, THEN there will be no subordinating serial verb phrase constructions. | syntax | implication | order, VSO, serial verb |
| 1649 | IF basic order is SVO, THEN there will be verb concatenation rather than verb phrase serialization. | syntax | implication | order, VSO, serial verb |
| 1650 | IF there is major, salient dependent-marking morphology at the clause level, THEN there is dependent marking morphology at the phrase level. | inflection, syntax | implication | head-marking, dependent-marking |
| 1651 | IF there is dependent-marking clause morphology, THEN relativization will be of the same pattern. IF relativization is of head-marking type, THEN the clause uses the same pattern. |
inflection, syntax | implication | head-marking, dependent-marking, relative clause |
| 1652 | IF clause-affecting relativization occurs, THEN it will be of dependent-marking type. | inflection, syntax | implication | head-marking, dependent-marking, relative clause |
| 1653 | IF relative clause formation involves pronominalization, THEN it will be of dependent-marking type. | inflection, syntax | implication | head-marking, dependent-marking, relative clause, pronoun |
| 1654 | FINAL-OVER-INITIAL-POSITION HYPOTHESIS: IF sentential NPs and simple NPs of the same grammatical relation differ in their relative tendencies to occur in clause-final position as opposed to clause-initial position, THEN sentential NPs will exhibit a greater tendency than simple NPs to occur in clause-final position rather than clause-initial position. INITIAL-OVER-INTERNAL-POSITION HYPOTHESIS: IF sentential NPs and simple NPs of the same grammatical relation differ in their relative tendencies to occur in clause-initial position as opposed to clause-internal position, THEN sentential NPs will exhibit a greater tendency than simple NPs to occur in clause-initial position rather than clause-internal position. FINAL-OVER-INTERNAL-POSITION HYPOTHESIS: IF sentential NPs and simple NPs of the same grammatical relation differ in their relative tendencies to occur in clause-final position as opposed to clause-internal position, THEN sentential NPs will exhibit a greater tendency than simple NPs to occur in clause-final position rather than clause-internal position. |
syntax | implication | order, clause-final, clause-internal, clause-initial, simple NP, sentential NP |
| 1655 | IF basic word order is rigidly verb-final, THEN the rhematic focus of a sentence is most likely to be in the position immediately preceding the finite verb. | syntax | implication | order, verb-final, rheme |
| 1656 | IF finite and non-finite (attributive and/or argument) functions of a form appear to be equally marked or equally unmarked, THEN the predicative usage of nominals (nouns and adjectives) will also be unmarked. | inflection, syntax | implication | finiteness, complexity, markedness |
| 1657 | IF finite and non-finite (attributive and/or nominal) functions of converbs are equally marked or equally unmarked, THEN there is non-tensedness. | inflection, syntax | implication | finiteness, complexity, converb, non-tensed |
| 1658 | IF there is non-tensedness, THEN the nominal predicate does not require a copula. | inflection, syntax | implication | tense, nominal predicate, copula |
| 1659 | IF there are evidentials encoding direct evidence, THEN there are evidentials for indirect evidence. IF there is an evidential category for visual evidence, THEN there is evidential category for non-visual evidence. IF there is an evidential category for inferential evidence, THEN there is evidential category for quotative evidence. |
inflection, syntax, semantics | implicational hierarchy | evidentiality hierarchy |
| 1660 | IF the same term is used to designate the mother and the father’s sister, THEN this same term is used for the mother’s sister also. | lexicon | implication | kinship |
| 1661 | Lineal kinship term is unmarked as against collateral, consanguineal is unmarked as against affinal, the less remote from the speaker (measured in the number of generations) is unmarked as against the more remote, older is unmarked in relation to younger. (See Graphics) | lexicon | implication | kinship, markedness |
| 1662 | All systems distinguish male and female parent by separate terms even though very frequently other kin types are included in the referents of both. | lexicon | unconditional | kinship |
| 1663 | Whenever there are two terms differing in generation which are true reciprocals, or there is one which is a self-reciprocal term with two referents, and one involves the sex of the speaker in its definition and the other does not, it is always the term of lower generational reference which contains the sex of the speaker in its definition. | lexicon | unconditional | kinship |
| 1664 | IF there is distinction of sex in the second descending generation, THEN there is the same distinction in the second ascending generation. | lexicon | implication | kinship |
| 1665 | The most common word for ‘first generation descendant’ is always the same as the most common word for ‘person who has not reached puberty’ (i.e. ‘child’). | lexicon | unconditional | kinship |
| 1666 | IF any other kin terms are used like proper names, THEN those denoting ascending relations, and in particular parental ones, such as ‘father’ and ‘mother’, are used like proper names too. | lexicon | implication | kinship |