Universal #1302

Legacy number: 1302

 Number  1298
 Original  If a language is postpositional, indefiniteness affixes on noun (if any) are suffixed.
 Standardized  IF there are postpositions, THEN indefiniteness affixes on nouns are suffixed.
 Formula  postposition ⇒ Indefiniteness affixes on N are suffixed
 Keywords  order, postposition, noun, indefinite, affix-order, suffix
 Domain  inflection, syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  200 languages drawn from three samples: a 113-language sample by L. Stassen, a 40-language sample by J. Bybee & R. Perkins, and a 50-language sample by G. Gilligan
 Source  Cutler, Hawkins, & Gilligan 1985: 729; Hawkins & Gilligan 1988: 223

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Discussion
Notes
Moravcsik 1994: 49 summarized universals of Hawkins & Gilligan (here ##413, 1302, 1304, and 1307) in a more general form:In postpositional languages, nominal affixes, if any, are suffixed with considerable greater than chance frequency.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Moravcsik 1994: 49 summarized universals of Hawkins & Gilligan (here <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=413"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1302"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1304"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, and <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1307"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">) in a more general form: In postpositional languages, nominal affixes, if any, are suffixed with considerable greater than chance frequency.