Universal #516

Legacy number: 516

 Number  514
 Original  A language never has more gender categories in non-singular numbers than in the singular.
 Standardized  IF there are n genders in the non-singular, THEN there will be at least n genders in the singular.
 Keywords  gender, number
 Domain  inflection
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  30 languages of Greenberg 1963 sample
 Source  Greenberg 1963: 95, #37

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Discussion
Counterexamples
1. Farsi-Kabuli (Farsi dialect) (Iranian, IE) (Uspensky 1968: 9);2. Tahaggart, Tuareg, Kabyle, Proto-Berber (according to one reconstruction) (Afro-Asiatic) have gender contrast in 1/2/3PL and in 2SG, but not in 3SG (for details see Plank & Schellinger 1997). 3. Languages distinguishing gender in all persons and numbers except for 1SG: Ntifa independent subject pronouns(Berber, Afro-Asiatic), Hadza, Nama (both Khoisan). (For details see Plank & Schellinger 1997).4. A number of Austronesian languages distinguish animate/non-animate forms in the plural only. Biak (South Halmahera-West New Guinea, Austronesian) has animate/inanimate forms for 3PL pronouns and demonstratives, but not in the SG, DU, or TRial. An animate/inanimate oppostion is reconstructed for 3PL in South Solomonic languages (Steinhauer 1985, 1986, Plank & Schellinger 1997, cited in Aikhenvald 2000: 244)
Notes
Cf. #520. And see Plank & Schellinger 1997 for data and discussion.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=520"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0"> and see Plank & Schellinger 1997 for data and discussion</r>.