Author: FP

Universal 108: OV ⇒ Verb Interr Original In consistent OV languages, interrogative markers follow verbs, occupying final position in the sentence. Standardized IF basic order…

Universal 107: VO ⇒ N Rel & N Adj & N Gen;OV ⇒ Rel N & Adj N & Gen N Original Nominal modifiers (such…

Universal 106: Original Agreement loss, at least with class and number as agreement features, diffuses lexically, at least as far as adjectival targets are concerned.…

Universal 105: Original Adjectives tend to lose class agreement before number agreement. Standardized IF adjectives are losing number agreement, THEN they do not, or no…

Universal 104: Original When noun-phrase internal agreement (in class) is lost, it tends to disappear first on numerals, then on adjectives, then on demonstratives. Standardized…

Universal 103: Original Agreement should preferably occur in marked rather than unmarked construction types, e. g. with appositive rather than attributive adjectives. Standardized IF there…

Universal 102: Postp ⇒ (Poss N ⇒ G N) Original If a language has Postp word order, then if the possessive adjective precedes the noun,…

Universal 101: N Poss ⇒ N A;equivalently: A N ⇒ Poss N Original If the possessive adjective follows the noun, then the descriptive adjective follows…

Universal 100: (Adj/Dem/Num) ≥ (Rel/Gen) Original Mobility Principle:(Adj/Dem/Num) ≥(Rel/Gen). This principle claims that Adj, Dem, and Num are more mobile than Gen and Rel and…

Universal 81: Original There is no language in which an accusative object must be first demoted via dative-shift before it can be relativized. Standardized Relativization…