Universal #213

Legacy number: 213

 Number  213
 Original  If a language has a derived-case comparative, then that language is balancing.
 Standardized  IF there is a derived-case comparative, THEN clause-combining is balancing.
 Formula  derived-case comparative ⇒ balancing
 Keywords  comparative, case, clause-combining, balancing
 Domain  inflection, syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  sample of 110 languages in Stassen 1985
 Source  Stassen 1985: 106 (Univ. 1A)

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Discussion
Notes
1. derived-case: the standard NP appears to derive its case assignment from the case into which the comparee NP in the construction has been put;Ex. if the comparee NP is in the NOM (or ACC), the standard NP will also be marked for NOM (or ACC).2. balancing: chaining constructions in which predicates, which express the two relevant actions, remain of the same rank are balanced constructions; Languages which choose this encoding option are balancing languages. 3. With regard to the encoding of the standard NP in comparatives, DERIVED-CASE comparatives and FIXED-CASE comparatives are distinguished. In derived-case comparatives, the grammatical case assigned to the standard NP appears not to be unique; that is, the standard NP is not put into one single case in all the instances of the comparative construction. Instead, the standard NP appears to derive its case assignment from the case into which the comparee NP in the construction has been put. The Latin ‘quam’-comparative is an instance of derived case.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. derived-case: the standard NP appears to derive its case assignment from the case into which the comparee NP in the construction has been put; Ex. if the comparee NP is in the NOM (or ACC), the standard NP will also be marked for NOM (or ACC).

2. balancing: chaining constructions in which predicates, which express the two relevant actions, remain of the same rank are balanced constructions; Languages which choose this encoding option are balancing languages.

3. With regard to the encoding of the standard NP in comparatives, DERIVED-CASE comparatives and FIXED-CASE comparatives are distinguished. In derived-case comparatives, the grammatical case assigned to the standard NP appears not to be unique; that is, the standard NP is not put into one single case in all the instances of the comparative construction. Instead, the standard NP appears to derive its case assignment from the case into which the comparee NP in the construction has been put. The Latin 'quam'-comparative is an instance of derived case.