Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1161: indefinite article (mass nouns) ⇒ indefinite article (plural nouns) Original If the indefinite article determines mass nouns, then it is also used for…

Universal 1177: Original There are contrasting transfer patterns for thumbs and big toes on the one hand and the remaining digits on the other: Whereas…

Universal 1193: Original If the head of a restrictive relative clause does function as the subject of the restricting clause then no personal pronoun will…

Universal 1209: incorporation of indirect objects ⇒ incorporation of non-agental subjects ⇒ incorporation of direct objects Original If a language incorporates indirect objects, then it…

Universal 1225: terminative v prosecutive ⇒ allative Original If there is a terminative (‘up to where’) or a prosecutive (‘where to’), then there will be…

Universal 1241: Original No language without initial clusters has V.CCV division of two-segment clusters. Standardized IF there are no initial consonantal clusters, THEN there is…

Universal 1257: Original Assimilation of low vowels implies prior assimilation of high vowels. Standardized IF there is assimilation of low vowels, THEN there is assimilation…

Universal 1273: Original If narrative and non-narrative contexts differ with respect to the marking of temporal distance, it will be the non-narrative contexts that exhibit…

Universal 1289: possibility > necessity > impossibility > non-necessity Original Hierarchy of the auxiliarization of modality:possibility > necessity > impossibility > non-necessity Standardized IF non-necessity…

Universal 1305: postposition ⇒ Mood affixes on V are suffixed Original If a language is postpositional, mood affixes on verb (if any) are suffixed. Standardized…