Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1772: Original Nasalization is more likely to occur before consonants than vowels. Standardized IF nasalization occurs before a vowel, THEN it will occur before…

Universal 1788: ^VN ⇒ ‘VN Original N-deletion occurs first in unstressed/atonic syllables before spreading to stressed/tonic syllables. Standardized IF N-deletion occurs first in stressed/tonic syllables,…

Universal 1804: Original IF there is a voiced dental-alveolar sibilant fricative [”z”], THEN there is a voiceless dental-alveolar sibilant fricative [”s”]. Standardized IF there is…

Universal 1820: Original Standardized IF there is a labialized voiceless uvular stop, THEN there is a labialized voiceless velar stop. Keywords stop, labial, uvular, velar,…

Universal 1836: Original Standardized IF there is a voiceless alveolar lateral ejective affricate, THEN there is also a voiceless alveolar sibilant ejective affricate. Keywords affricate,…

Universal 1852: Original The nonlateral has a noncentralizing or backing effect on a neighboring vowel. Standardized When a vowel is adjacent to a nonlateral, it…

Universal 1868: Original The most striking – and apparently universal – variability is in what can be called “degree of babyishness”. Changes in the degree…

Universal 1884: Original A split between 1st and 2nd person versus 3rd person marking is more likely with the verbal category assertive than with the…

Universal 1900: Original A pronominal form used for showing greater respect or social distance is never eliminated from the system of reference in favour of…

Universal 1916: Original It seems likely that no polysynthetic language has, within its system of pronominal affixes, a set of contrasts large enough to make…