Universal #1306
Legacy number: 1306
| Number | 1302 |
| Original | If a language has SOV, definiteness affixes on noun (if any) are suffixed with greater than chance frequency. |
| Standardized | IF basic order is SOV, THEN definiteness affixes on nouns are suffixed with greater than chance frequency. |
| Formula | SOV ⇒ Definiteness affixes on N are suffixed |
| Keywords | order, SOV, noun, definite, affix-order, suffix |
| Domain | inflection, syntax |
| Type | implication |
| Status | achronic |
| Quality | statistical |
| 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 |
Discussion
Counterexamples
Stassen’s sample: 90% of SOV languages with definiteness affixes are suffixing, 10% are prefixing.
Notes
1. Moravcsik 1994: 49 summarizes universals of Hawkins & Gilligan (here ##414, 1303, 1305, 1306, and 1308) in a more general form:If a language has SOV order, nominal affixes, if any, are suffixed with overwhelmingly greater than chance frequency.2. #892 states a general tendency of OV languages to have suffixes and VO languages to have prefixes.
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If a language has SOV order, nominal affixes, if any, are suffixed with overwhelmingly greater than chance frequency.
2. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=892"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0"> states a general tendency of OV languages to have suffixes and VO languages to have prefixes.