Universal #46

Legacy number: 46

 Number  46
 Original  When objects are marked differently depending on whether or not they are definite, or on whether or not they are animate/human, it will always be the definite and (more) animate/human object which bears the morphological marker, while the indefinite and (more) inanimate/nonhuman object will be unmarked, and never the other way round.
 Standardized  IF indefinite or less animate objects are morphologically marked, THEN definite or more animate objects will also be morphologically marked, provided there is a marking alternation for objects in terms of definiteness and animacy.
 Keywords  direct object, definite, animate, human, case
 Domain  inflection, syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages surveyed in Lazard 1984, Lazard 1995</t>, <r>Lazard 1998
 Source  Lazard 1984: 282, Lazard 1995: 186, Lazard 1998: 219-221

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Discussion
Notes
1. Cf. ##12, 488, 1284.2. See the scale of definiteness and humanness in Lazard 1984: 283.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=13"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=488"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">, <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1284"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">.

2. See the scale of definiteness and humanness in Lazard 1984: 283.