Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1743: Original Only in languages that have no overt articles do non-specific direct objects fail to be accusative-marked (or, in general, fail to be…

Universal 1759: Original Vowels are shorter before voiceless obstruents than before voiced obstruents or sonorants. Standardized Vowels are shorter before voiceless obstruents than before voiced…

Universal 1775: Original See IPA. Standardized IF nasalized /i/ lowers to nasalized /e/, THEN nasalized /e/ also lowers to nasalized /a/. Keywords nasal, lowering, vowel…

Universal 1791: ’σσσ# ⇒ ’σσ# ⇒ ’σ# Original Nasalization will be phonologized first on oxytone vowels before nasals, subsequently on penultimate stressed vowels and then…

Universal 1808: Original Standardized IF there is a voiced alveolar implosive, THEN there is a voiced bilabial implosive. Keywords implosive, bilabial, alveolar, voice Domain phonology…

Universal 1824: Original Standardized IF there is a voiced pharyngeal fricative, THEN there is a voiceless pharyngeal fricative. Keywords fricative, pharyngeal, voice Domain phonology Type…

Universal 1840: Original If a language has long raised low front unrounded vowels [æ:] then it also has long high back rounded vowels [u:]. Standardized…

Universal 1856: Original The consonantality of a neighboring sound has the effect of changing a nontrill (flap or tap) into a trill whereas a neighboring…

Universal 1872: Original There are instances in which a 1st person inclusive plural shows by its morphological structure that it consists of the 1st person…

Universal 1888: Original Languages possessing the pairs voice–voiceless, aspirate–non-aspirate, have also a phoneme /h/. Standardized IF there is an opposition of voice vs. voiceless and…