Category: Universals Archive

Universal 85: Original The non-null set of agreeing non-subjects of any language includes some or all direct objects; or in other words, if in a…

Universal 101: N Poss ⇒ N A;equivalently: A N ⇒ Poss N Original If the possessive adjective follows the noun, then the descriptive adjective follows…

Universal 117: Original In languages with a distinction between active (animate) vs. passive (inanimate) nouns, passive nouns don’t distinguish numbers (SG/PL). Standardized IF nouns are…

Universal 133: Original It is relatively unusual for languages (in ANCs) to combine sentential dependent-marking for the S with non-sentential marking for the A or…

Universal 149: Original The number of inflectional classes of adjectives is never larger than the number of inflectional classes of nouns. Standardized The number of…

Universal 165: reflexive (1) ⇒ reflexive (2) ⇒ reflexive (3) Original If a pronominal reflexive is used in the nth person, then it is used…

Universal 181: NP-conjunctive (=Comit) ⇒ SVO Original An NP-conjunctive that has the same form as the comitative marker correlates positively with SVO, and negatively with…

Universal 197: Original No set of case marking elements both precede the head noun and participate in agreement. Standardized IF a relational marker (case, adposition)…

Universal 213: derived-case comparative ⇒ balancing Original If a language has a derived-case comparative, then that language is balancing. Standardized IF there is a derived-case…

Universal 229: number (noun) ⇒ case (noun) Original If nominals inflect for number, they also inflect for case. Standardized IF nominals inflect for number, THEN…