Universal #1524

Legacy number: 1524

 Number  1520
 Original  In possessive constructions subject-final languages always present full noun phrase possessors after the head (the possessed) noun phrase.
 Standardized  IF subject full noun phrases follow object full noun phrases, THEN full noun phrase possessors always follow the head (the possessed) noun phrase.
 Formula  OS ⇒ N Gen
 Keywords  order, subject, object, attributive
 Domain  syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  Malagasy, Batak [Toba Dialect], Fijian, Gilbertese (all Malayo-Polynesian), Tzeltal (Mayan), Otomi (Oto-Manguean), Ineseño Chumash (Hokan), Baure (Arawakan), Tzotzil, Kekchi (both Mayan), Tsou (Formosan, Austronesian), although the last three languages are not surveyed in the paper
 Source  Keenan 1978b: 295, G-10

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Discussion
Notes
1. By SUBJECT-FINAL languages Keenan means any language in which full noun phrase subjects must follow noun phrase direct objects in the pragmatically less marked sentence types (which contain both subjects and direct objects) of the language. Sentences which are pragmatically less marked place the fewest restrictions on their contexts of appropriate use. 2. Cf. W. Lehmann’s claim (#107); Lehmann supposes that attribitive expression should follow the head noun in VO languages. The languages surveyed by Keenan are of VOS order, therefore it is questionable whether the order of possessor and possessee NPs is dependent on the property of being subject-final.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. By SUBJECT-FINAL languages Keenan means any language in which full noun phrase subjects must follow noun phrase direct objects in the PRAGMATICALLY LESS MARKED sentence types (which contain both subjects and direct objects) of the language. Sentences which are pragmatically less marked place the fewest restrictions on their contexts of appropriate use.

2. Cf. W. Lehmann's claim (<a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=107"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">); Lehmann supposes that attribitive expression should follow the head noun in VO languages. The languages surveyed by Keenan are of VOS order, therefore it is questionable whether the order of possessor and possessee NPs is dependent on the property of being subject-final.