Author: FP

Universal 1942: Original One generally unremarked fact is that 2nd person plurals never appear to make a distinction between a plurality of addressees and combinations…

Universal 1943: Original It appears to be only indicators of the 1st and 2nd person which combine to form new pronouns. (but see Comments) Standardized…

Universal 1944: Original When three-degree systems of demonstratives where proximal/medial/distal correspond to 1st/2nd/3rd person develop into two-degree systems, the opposition will be proximal&medial vs. distal…

Universal 1945: Original In deixis, person and related spatial, 1st and 3rd person never align as against 2nd. 2nd person may align with 1st or…

Universal 1946: Original Plural markers tend to originate on personal nouns and to spread in both directions, to inanimate nouns, on the one hand, and…

Universal 1947: Original If a language has Class IV predicates requiring non-canonicaly marked A/S, then it also has Class Ia-b, Class IIa-c, Class IIIa-b and…

Universal 1948: Original Class IIIa and Class Ib predicates cooccur in a language. Standardized IF non-canonical marking with Class IIIa predicates, THEN also non-canonical marking…

Universal 1949: Original If a language has Class IIIa/Ib predicates requiring non-canonicaly marked A/S, then it also has Class Ia predicates requiring non-canonically marked A/S.…

Universal 1950: Original Partial or complete denasalization of nasal consonants would occur only in languages with oral-nasal vowel contrast. Standardized IF there is partial or…

Universal 1951: Original If a negative polarity item (NPI) (in particular an auxiliary) can occur in some affective context, it will also appear in all…