Universal #476

Legacy number: 476

 Number  474
 Original  Correlation between Types of Exponence and the Number of Terms of inflexional categories (TENT):
Cumulative and sensitive separatist exponents limit the number of terms that may potentially realize inflexional categories more severely than insensitive separatist exponents.
 Standardized  Correlation between Types of Exponence and the Number of Terms of inflexional categories:
Cumulative and sensitive separatist exponents limit the number of terms that may potentially realize inflexional categories more severely than insensitive separatist exponents.
 Keywords  exponent, cumulation, sensitivity
 Domain  inflection
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages mentioned in Plank 1986
 Source  Plank 1986: 33

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Discussion
Notes
Cumulative exponents simultaneously express at least two co-occurring inflexional categories without being formally segmentable into two or more parts, while separatist exponents express only one inflexional category of a word form. Exponents can be further distinguished as sensitive and insensitive. Sensitive exponents are alternative expressions of the terms of an inflexional category, the choice among which is conditioned by lexical or morphological, rather than phonological (or may be semantic), properties of co-occurring morphemes; exponents are insensitive when lacking such alternants. Both cumulative and separatist exponents may be sensitive or insensitive. The universal is one-way conditional insofar as two variables are claimed to interact. "Licensing" is probably a better way of conceiving of the relation than "implying".The universal is being tested for case in this paper (see #477): When case is cumulated with another category, notably number, there won't be more than medium-sized case paradigms (comprising around 10 cases); when case is not cumulated, there can be large or extra-large case paradigms (up to some 30, as in Hungarian; Daghestanian doesn't have more, really: it only combines cases with other categories).
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Cumulative exponents simultaneously express at least two co-occurring inflexional categories without being formally segmentable into two or more parts, while separatist exponents express only one inflexional category of a word form. Exponents can be further distinguished as sensitive and insensitive. Sensitive exponents are alternative expressions of the terms of an inflexional category, the choice among which is conditioned by lexical or morphological, rather than phonological (or may be semantic), properties of co-occurring morphemes; exponents are insensitive when lacking such alternants. Both cumulative and separatist exponents may be sensitive or insensitive.

The universal is one-way conditional insofar as two variables are claimed to interact. "Licensing" is probably a better way of conceiving of the relation than "implying".

The universal is being tested for case in this paper (see <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=477"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">): When case is cumulated with another category, notably number, there won't be more than medium-sized case paradigms (comprising around 10 cases); when case is not cumulated, there can be large or extra-large case paradigms (up to some 30, as in Hungarian; Daghestanian doesn't have more, really: it only combines cases with other categories).