Category: Universals Archive

Universal 534: Original When a number is expressed by subtraction, or when a subtraction occurs as a constituent of a complex expression, the subtrahend is…

Universal 550: Original The order noun-numeral is favoured in indefinite and approximative constructions. Standardized In indefinite and approximative constructions, the numeral tends to follow the…

Universal 566: Du (2 & 3 person) ⇒ Du (1 person) Original If 2nd and 3rd Person differentiate a Dual, so does (with more than…

Universal 582: inflection (noun) ⇒ inflection (pronoun) Original If there is any inflection in nouns, there are also some inflections in pronouns. Standardized IF there…

Universal 598: VO ⇒ Person & Number inflection v. ¬inflection Original VO languages are evenly divided between those with no inflection and those with the…

Universal 614: Original When becoming a nasal or determining the place of articulation of adjacent nasals by assimilation, labial velars behave primarily like velars. Standardized…

Universal 630: Original If a language uses pluralization to form portmanteau from ordinary quantifier words, then it forms distributive-share quantifier words by pluralization. Standardized IF…

Universal 646: Original Variation of gender so as to employ one which does not correspond to the notional category of the sex of the referent…

Universal 662: ¬(rising terminal V higher pitched V special stress) yes-no question contour ⇒ postposition Original Nonoccurrence of a rising terminal, higher pitched or special…

Universal 678: initial nonverbal element in SubCl ⇒ postnominal RelCl contain relative pronoun Original Postnominal relative clauses contain relative pronouns only if the language allows…