Universal #1742

Legacy number: 1742

 Number  1737
 Original  If the adnominal demonstrative or possessive occurs with a noun that is accompanied by the definite article at one point in time but not at another point in time, the former time precedes the latter.
 Standardized  IF the adnominal demonstrative or possessive occurs with a noun that is accompanied by the definite article at one point in time but not at another point in time, THEN the former time precedes the latter.
 Keywords  demonstrative, possessive
 Domain  syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  diachronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages surveyed in Moravcsik 1994b, including Hungarian, Mari (both Finno-Ugric), Albanian (Albanian, IE), Classical and Modern Greek (Greek, IE), English, German, Swedish, Dutch, Frisian, Old Icelandic (all Germanic, IE), Welsh, Breton, Manx (all Celtic, IE), Spanish, Rumanian, Romantsch, Latin, Sardinian, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Catalan, Italian, Occitan (all Romance, IE), Macedonian (Slavic, IE), Abkhaz (NW Caucasian), Turkish (Turkic, Altaic), Maltese (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic), Basque (isolate), Jicaltepec Mixtec (Oto-Manguean), Samoan (Oceanic, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian), Berbice Dutch Creole, Toba (Western Malayo-Polynesian), Chantyal (?)
 Source  Moravcsik 1994b

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Discussion
Notes
More generally: If a noun phrase constituent is more independent at one point in time and less independent at another point in time, the former time stage precedes the latter. (Moravcsik 1994b)
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
More generally:
If a noun phrase constituent is more independent at one point in time and less independent at another point in time, the former time stage precedes the latter. (Moravcsik 1994b)