Universal #1525

Legacy number: 1525

 Number  1521
 Original  In subject-final languages relative clauses always present the head noun to the left of the restricting clause.
 Standardized  IF subject full noun phrases follow object full noun phrases, THEN relative clauses always present the head noun to the left of the restricting clause.
 Formula  OS ⇒ N Rel
 Keywords  order, subject, object, relative clause
 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: 296, G-11

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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 relative clause 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 directly 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 relative clause 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 directly dependent on the property of being subject-final.