Universal #622

Legacy number: 622

 Number  619
 Original  If a given language can relativize a position low on the Accessibility Hierarchy by gapping then it can generally relativize all higher positions by gapping.
 Standardized  IF an attributive can be relativized by gapping, THEN non-direct objects, direct objects, and subjects can be as well.
IF a non-direct object can be relativized by gapping, THEN direct objects and subjects can be as well.
IF a direct object can be relativized by gapping, THEN subjects can be as well.
 Formula  gapping for attributive ⇒ gapping for non-direct object ⇒ gapping for direct object = gapping for subject
 Keywords  accessibility hierarchy, relative clause, gapping, attributive, non-direct object, direct object, subject<br>
 Domain  syntax
 Type  implicational hierarchy
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages in Keenan 1985b
 Source  Keenan 1985b: 154

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Discussion
Notes
1. Hawkins 1999: 256 reformulates this universal in terms of his complexity hierarchy:Relative Clause Gap Hierarchy: If a relative clause gap is grammatical in position P on a complexity hierarchy H, then gaps will be grammatical in all higher positions on H.2. Note that the two implicational patterns #619 and #622 go in opposite directions in the relative clause data: gaps from low to high, copy pronouns from high to low. The gaps cut off in more complex environments, while the pronouns cut off in simpler environments.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
1. Hawkins 1999: 256 reformulates this universal in terms of his complexity hierarchy:
Relative Clause Gap Hierarchy: If a relative clause gap is grammatical in position P on a complexity hierarchy H, then gaps will be grammatical in all higher positions on H.

2. Note that the two implicational patterns <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=619"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0"> and <a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=622"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0"> go in opposite directions in the relative clause data: gaps from low to high, copy pronouns from high to low. The gaps cut off in more complex environments, while the pronouns cut off in simpler environments.