Universal #1747
Legacy number: 1747
| Number | 1742 |
| Original | If a language has person marking affixes on verb (direct object), they are prefixed with more than chance frequency. |
| Standardized | When there are any person affixes on the verb marking direct object, these will be prefixed with more than chance frequency. |
| Keywords | person, direct object, verb, affix-order, prefix |
| Domain | inflection |
| Type | no genuine implication; rather: provided that |
| Status | achronic |
| Quality | statistical |
| Basis | 200 languages drawn from three samples: a 125-language sample by L. Stassen, a 40-language sample by J. Bybee, and a 39-language sample by G. Gilligan |
| Source | Cutler, Hawkins, & Gilligan 1985: 730 |
Discussion
Counterexamples
Bybee’s sample: 75% of languages confirm this generalization.
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