Universal #1958
Legacy number: 1958
| Number | 1952 |
| Original | There can ... be [a] correlation between whether a language has grammatical noun classes or lexical noun classifiers, and its preference for discourse organisation. |
| Standardized | IF there is a great deal of ellipsis (e.g., in replies to questions or in comments on statements, or of coreferential NPs in relative clauses), THEN there tend to be noun classes rather than classifiers. IF there is little such ellipsis (and coreferential NPs need to be repeated a great deal, making some variation desirable), THEN there tend to be noun classifiers rather than noun classes. |
| Keywords | noun class, classifier, ellipsis |
| Domain | inflection, syntax, discourse |
| Type | implication |
| Status | achronic |
| Quality | statistical |
| Basis | Dyirbal, Yidiny (Pama-Nyungan, Australian) |
| Source | Dixon 1986: 109-110 |
Discussion
Notes
1. See also ##803, 804.2. Note the Original phrasing: there CAN be such a correlation. But IS there one? A mutual (=correlation) or a one-way implication?
Log in to join the discussion.
2. Note the Original phrasing: there CAN be such a correlation. But IS there one? A mutual (=correlation) or a one-way implication?