Universal #1112

Legacy number: 1112

 Number  1108
 Original  If a language has a Comitative Possessive, that language will have predominant (or sometimes even exclusive)balancing of simultaneous sequences.
 Standardized  IF there is Comitative Possessive, THEN there is predominant balancing of simultaneous sequences.
 Formula  comitative possessive ⇒ predominant balancing of simultaneous sequences
 Keywords  possessive, balancing
 Domain  syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  sample of 300 languages
 Source  Stassen 1998

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Discussion
Notes
The Comitative Possessive. Features:(a) the main verb is the locative/existential item 'to be' (which may be zero);(b) the possessor is the subject;(c) the possessed item is constructed as a comitative (marked by an item meaning 'with').Evaluation: confirmed for all 61 languages with a conjunctional possessive.The conspicuous fact in all languages with a Comitative Possessive is that they do not have structural NP-coordination. The comitative item ‘with’ is the functional, though not the formal, equivalent of English ‘and’.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
The Comitative Possessive. Features:
(a) the main verb is the locative/existential item 'to be' (which may be zero);
(b) the possessor is the subject;
(c) the possessed item is constructed as a comitative (marked by an item meaning 'with').

Evaluation: confirmed for all 61 languages with a conjunctional possessive.

The conspicuous fact in all languages with a Comitative Possessive is that they do not have structural NP-coordination. The comitative item "with" is the functional, though not the formal, equivalent of English "and".