Universal #520

Legacy number: 520

 Number  518
 Original  If there are any gender distinctions in the plural of the pronoun, there are some gender distinctions in the singular also.
 Standardized  IF there are any gender distinctions in the plural of the pronoun, THEN there are some gender distinctions in the singular also.
 Formula  gender (Plural pronoun) ⇒ gender (Singular pronoun)
 Keywords  pronoun, gender, number, plural, singular
 Domain  inflection
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  30 languages of Greenberg 1963 sample
 Source  Greenberg 1963: 96, #45

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Discussion
Counterexamples
1. Tahaggart, Tuareg, Kabyle, Proto-Berber (?!) (Afro-Asiatic) have gender contrast in 1/2/3PL and in 2SG, but not in 3SG (for details see Plank & Schellinger 1997). 2. 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).3. 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 TR. 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. #516.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Cf. <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=516"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">