Category: Universals Archive

Universal 451: 3 person (possessor) ⇒ 3 person (possessee) Original A possessor marked for 3rd person implies a possessee so marked in the same construction.…

Universal 467: (number marker (noun) = number marker (verb)) ⇒ (number marker (noun) = number marker (3 person verb)) Original If marking for nominal and…

Universal 483: DO & IO are indicated by fixed word order ⇒ DO & IO are indicated by morphosyntactic marking Original 80 % of the…

Universal 499: Original In conditional statements, the conditional clause precedes the conclusion as the normal order in all languages. Standardized In conditional statements, the conditional…

Universal 515: Original All languages have pronominal categories involving at least three persons and two numbers. Standardized All languages have pronominal categories involving at least…

Universal 531: Original The smallest value for L in numeral systems with arithmetical operations is 4. Standardized IF a numeral system has arithmetical operations, THEN…

Universal 547: Original In languages with singular/dual/plural systems in the noun, if the plural is used in any instances where a set of two objects…

Universal 563: Duo-Paucal ⇒ Paucal & Mult(itudin)al Original If a language knows a Duo-Paucal, it will also contrast a general Paucal with a Multitudinal. Standardized…

Universal 579: count & mass nouns ⇔ configurational NP; Original A language distinguishes between count and mass nouns if and only if a language possesses…

Universal 595: Original The reversal of syntactic constituent order is never systematically iconic, i. e. signaling the reversal of meaning. Standardized The reversal of syntactic…