Universal #11

Legacy number: 11

 Number  11
 Original  Consistent OV languages tend to be agglutinative in their morphology.
 Standardized  IF basic order is consistently OV, THEN the morphology tends to be agglutinative.
 Formula  OV ⇒ agglutinative
 Keywords  order, OV, agglutination
 Domain  morphology, syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  languages in Lehmann 1973
 Source  W.P.Lehmann 1973: 47

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Counterexamples
Akkadian (E. Semitic, Afro-Asiatic): basic constituent order OV, but language is highly (intro-)flexive/fusional (e.g. izzakar < *iztakar ‘he called’ consisting of three morphemes, i- [3sg.m.], z_k_r ‘call‘, _ta_a [Perfekt]). Akkadian word order differs from that of other Semitic languages and is generally thought to be influenced by Sumerian. (F. Kammerzell, p.c.)
Notes
See also #13.Should probably be the other way round:IF agglutination, THEN verb-final.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
See also <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=13"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">.
Should probably be the other way round: IF agglutination, THEN verb-final.