Universal #242

Legacy number: 242

 Number  242
 Original  During inflectional expansion, if there is a plural, there is also a dual.
During inflectional reduction, if there is a dual, there is also a plural.
 Standardized  During inflectional expansion,
IF there is a plural, THEN there is also a dual.

During inflectional reduction,
IF there is a dual, THEN there is also a plural.
 Formula  inflectional expansion: Pl ⇒ Du
inflectional reduction: Du ⇒ Pl
 Keywords  number, plural, dual
 Domain  inflection
 Type  implication
 Status  diachronic (see Comments)
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  Ancient and Modern Greek (both Greek), French, Italian, Latin (all Italic), English, "Gothic" (both Germanic), Classical Armenian (Armenian), Hebrew (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic) [see Comments]
 Source  Smith 1761 [1983], as interpreted in Plank 1992: 43

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Discussion
Notes
This is actually not a developmental law, but a universal implication, holding only for (all) languages in a particular stage of their evolution. What is specified under “Basis” is not a sample in any serious sense, merely the list of languages mentioned in Smith’ s treatise; it is not necessarily the case that Smith’s generalizations are actually based on closer inspection of these languages (e.g., most of them do not bear on the present implication).
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
This is actually not a developmental law, but a universal implication, holding only for (all) languages in a particular stage of their evolution.
What is specified under "Basis" is not a sample in any serious sense, merely the list of languages mentioned in Smith's treatise; it is not necessarily the case that Smith's generalizations are actually based on closer inspection of these languages (e.g., most of them do not bear on the present implication).