Universal #1615

Legacy number: 1615

 Number  1611
 Original  All languages with verb-patient agreement, regardless of type, also have verb agreement with the agent as well.
 Standardized  IF there is verb agreement with patient, THEN there is verb agreement with agent, regardless of alignment type.
 Formula  verb-patient agreement ⇒ verb-agent agreement
 Keywords  verb agreement, patient, agent, alignment
 Domain  syntax, inflection
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  30-language sample: 11 SOV languages (Kiowa (Kiowa-Tanoan), Burmese (Burmese-Lolo), Quechua (Andean), Hindi (Indic, IE), Diyari (Karnic, Pama-Nyungan), Pengo (Dravidian), Kanuri (Saharan), Basque (isolate), Turkish (Turkic), Japanese (Japanese-Ryukyuan), and Mende (Mande, Niger-Congo)); 13 SVO languages: Yoruba (Defoid, Niger-Congo), Thai (Kam-Thai), Greek (Hellenic, IE), Italian, Romanian (both Romance, IE), Guaraní (Tupi), Finnish (Uralic), Norwegian (Germanic, IE), Malay (Sundic, Western Malayo-Polynesian), Swahili (Central Eastern Bantu, Niger-Congo), Fulani (Atlantic, Niger-Congo), Serbocroatian (Slavic, IE), and Modern Hebrew (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic); 6 V-initial languages: Welsh (Celtic, IE), Maori (Oceanic, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian), Malagasy (Barito, Western Malayo-Polynesian), Papago (Uto-Aztecan), Maya (Mayan), and Classical Arabic (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic).
 Source  Foster & Hofling 1987: 480

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Discussion
Notes
See also ##45, 84, 85, 86, 188, 294, 327.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
See also <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=45"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=84"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=85"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=86"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=188"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=294"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=327"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">.