Universal #54

Legacy number: 54

 Number  54
 Original  If in the NP-internal distribution of case a lexically assigned case competes with a structurally or otherwise assigned case, lexical case takes precedence over all other types of case assignment, while structural case does not take precedence over any other type of case; that is, such agreement conflicts are resolved in terms of the case hierarchy, lexical case > ... > structural case (in particular nominative/accusative).
 Standardized  If in the NP-internal distribution of case a lexically assigned case competes with a structurally or otherwise assigned case, lexical case takes precedence over all other types of case assignment, while structural case does not take precedence over any other type of case; that is, such agreement conflicts are resolved in terms of the case hierarchy, lexical case > ... > structural case (in particular nominative/accusative).
 Keywords  case, structural case, lexical case, case hierarchy, nominative, accusative, agreement
 Domain  inflection, syntax
 Type  implicational hierarchy
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  ?
 Source  Babby 1988: 291, Plank 1991c: 539 (review)

← Back to Universals Archive

Discussion
Notes
Pertinent instances are quantified NPs in Russian where all relevant constituents are oblique if the NP is assigned an oblique, i.e., lexical, case such as instrumental, whereas nominative or accusative on a NP do not percolate down beyond numerals, which are able to impose a genitive on all elements they c-command (Plank 1991c).
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Pertinent instances are quantified NPs in Russian where all relevant constituents are oblique if the NP is assigned an oblique, i.e., lexical, case such as instrumental, whereas nominative or accusative on a NP do not percolate down beyond numerals, which are able to impose a genitive on all elements they c-command (Plank 1991c).