Category: Universals Archive

Universal 88: N Dem ⇒ N Rel;equivalently: Rel N ⇒ Dem N Original If a language has noun before demonstrative, then it has noun before…

Universal 104: Original When noun-phrase internal agreement (in class) is lost, it tends to disappear first on numerals, then on adjectives, then on demonstratives. Standardized…

Universal 120: Original If NP-internal constituents agree in more than two categories, the maximum being four, those will always include number and gender and very…

Universal 136: Original [IF one of the relations of (i) alienability, (ii) inalienability, and (iii) classification is realized formally by a certain construction, THEN no…

Universal 152: noun-like inflection and syntax (lower numerals) ⇒ noun-like inflection and syntax (higher numerals);adjectival inflection and syntax (higher numerals) ⇒ adjectival inflection and syntax…

Universal 168: TO/ FROM ≥ AT Original The morphological complexity of a case marker to signal “direction to” is never less than that of a…

Universal 184: (Acc(3p pronoun) = Acc(Indef noun)) ⇒ (Acc(3p pronoun) = Acc(Def noun)) Original If the accusative-case marker in (3rd person) pronouns and indefinite nouns…

Universal 200: Original No set of case marking elements both participate in agreement and are independent morphemes. Standardized IF a relational marker (case, adposition) participates…

Universal 216: active alignment ⇒ case (Act/Inact) & personal affix (Act /Inact) Original The most important morphological implications of active languages are as follows: the…

Universal 232: rigid order & ¬case ⇒ definite article Original If constituent order is rigid and there is no case inflection, then there is a…