Universal #1879

Legacy number: 1879

 Number  1874
 Original  Co-occurrence tendencies in the cross-linguistic coding of subordination, where ‘>>’ means ‘more frequent than’:
(a) Case/adposition & agreement eliminated >> case/adposition marking & agreement maintained.
(b) Arguments omitted & tense/aspect/mood eliminated >> arguments omitted & tense/aspect/mood maintained.
(c) Arguments maintained & tense/aspect/mood eliminated >> arguments omitted & agreement maintained.
(d) Arguments maintained & agreement maintained >> arguments omitted & agreement maintained.
 Standardized  In the coding of subordination vis-a-vis that of non-subordinate clauses:
(a) Case/adposition & agreement eliminated >> case/adposition marking & agreement maintained.
(b) Arguments omitted & tense/aspect/mood eliminated >> arguments omitted & tense/aspect/mood maintained.
(c) Arguments maintained & tense/aspect/mood eliminated >> arguments omitted & agreement maintained.
(d) Arguments maintained & agreement maintained >> arguments omitted & agreement maintained.
(where ‘>>’ means ‘is crosslinguistically more frequent than’)
 Keywords  clause combining, subordination, tense, aspect, mood, agreement, case, adposition
 Domain  syntax, inflection
 Type  unconditional
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  Acehnese (W Malayo-Polynesian), Ainu (isolate), Akan (Kwa, Niger-Congo), Arabic (Gulf) (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic), Arapesh (Torricelli), Banda Linda (Adamawa-Ubangi, Niger-Congo), Barasano (Tucanoan), Basque (isolate), Berbice Dutch Creole, Borana (Cushitic, Afro-Asiatic), Burushaski (isolate), Canela-Krahô (Ge), Mandarin Chinese (Sino-Tibetan), Diegueño (Hokan), Djapu (?), Ancient Egyptian (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic), Finnish (Finno-Ugric, Uralic), Fula (Atlantic, Niger-Congo), Gimira (Omotic, Afro-Asiatic), Classical Greek (Greek, IE), West Greenlandic (Eskimo, Eskimo-Aleut), Gumbaynggir, Guugu Yimidhirr (both Pama-Nyungan), Hixkaryana (Carib), Hittite (Anatolian, Indo-Hittite), Hmong Njua (Hmong Mien), Ho (Munda), Hurrian (isolate), Italian (Romance, IE), Jacaltec (Mayan), Kanuri (Saharan, Nilo-Saharan), Karimojong (Eastern Sudanic, Nilo-Saharan), Kayardild (Pama-Nyungan), Khasi (Mon-Khmer), Kobon (Trans-New Guinea), Kolokumi (Ijoid, Niger-Congo), Krongo (Kordofanian, Niger-Congo), Lango (Nilotic, Nilo-Saharan), Lezgian (NE Caucasian), Limbu (Tibeto-Burman), Makian (West) (West Papuan), Manarayi (Gunwingguan, Australian), Maori (Oceanic, E Malayo-Polynesian), Maricopa (Hokan), Muna (Sulawesi, W Malayo-Polynesian), Nama (Khoisan), Nandi (Bantu, Niger-Congo), Ngbaka (Adamawa-Ubangi, Niger-Congo), Nung (Tibeto-Burman), Piwan (Formosan, Austronesian), Paumarí (Arauan), Pero (Chadic, Afro-Asiatic), Pirahã (Mura), Punjabi (Indo-Aryan, IE), Huallaga Quechua (Andean), Resigaro (Arawak), Retuarã (Tucanoan), Sawu (Malayo-Polynesian), Shipibo-Conibo (Panoan), Shoshone (Tümpisa Panamint) (Uto-Aztecan), Slave (Na-Dene), Songhay (Nilo-Saharan), Sumerian (isolate), Supyire (Gur, Niger-Congo), Tagalog (W Malayo-Polynesian), Tamazight (Berber, Afro-Asiatic), Tamil (Dravidian), Tanghkul Naga (Tibeeto-Burman), Tarascan (isolate), Tok Pisin (English based, Creole), Turkish (Turkic, Altaic), Tzutujil (Mayan), Ute (Uto-Aztecan), Vai (Mande, Niger-Congo), Vietnamese (Mon-Khmer), Wargamay (Pama-Nyungan), Wayapi (Tupi), Yidi (Pama-Nyungan), Yoruba (Benue-Congo, Niger-Congo)
 Source  Cristofaro 2000

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Discussion
Notes
Cf. ##1879, 1881, 1882.Does "is crosslinguistically more frequent than" mean "implies"? Not necessarily.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1879"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1881"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1882"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">.

Does "is crosslinguistically more frequent than" mean "implies"? Not necessarily.