Universal #475
Legacy number: 475
| Number | 473 |
| Original | If in a language there is an opposition ”accusative/nominative” in the declension of nouns, then there is the same opposition in the declension of independent personal pronouns of the 1, 2, 3 person (at least one of them). |
| Standardized | IF there is an opposition accusative/nominative in the inflection of nouns, THEN there is the same opposition in the inflection of independent personal pronouns of 1st, 2nd, 3rd person (at least one of them). |
| Formula | accusative/nominative (noun) ⇒ accusative/nominative (1 V 2 V 3 person pronoun) |
| Keywords | alignment, case, accusative, nominative, personal pronoun, person, 1, 2, 3, noun |
| Domain | inflection, syntax |
| Type | implication |
| Status | achronic |
| Quality | almost absolute |
| Basis | 50 languages surveyed in Kozinsky 1980 |
| Source | Kozinsky 1980: 55 |
Discussion
Counterexamples
Nganasan (Samoyed, Uralic) (for details see Terescenko 1979) (mentioned in Kozinsky 1980)
Notes
1. This universal can be divided into two separate ones:a. If in a language there is an opposition “accusative/nominative” in the declension of inanimate nouns, animate nouns have the same opposition.b. If in a language there is an opposition “accusative/nominative” in the declension of animate nouns, personal pronouns have the same opposition.[Has the wrong universal been entered? Animacy isn't mentioned at all. ]2. See a similar statement by Silverstein (#217).
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a. If in a language there is an opposition "accusative/nominative" in the declension of inanimate nouns, animate nouns have the same opposition.
b. If in a language there is an opposition "accusative/nominative" in the declension of animate nouns, personal pronouns have the same opposition. [Has the wrong universal been entered? Animacy isn't mentioned at all.]
2. See a similar statement by Silverstein (<a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=217"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">).