Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1208: incorporation of instruments and/or locations ⇒ incorporation of patients of intransitive verbs ⇒ incorporation of patients of transitive verbs Original If a language…

Universal 1224: locative-ablative v allative-ablative ⇒ locative-allative Original Non-differentiation or syncretism of locative and ablative or of allative and ablative are less likely than non-differentiation…

Universal 1240: Original If a language’s only final margins are stops, then they are glottal stops. Standardized IF stops are the only final word margin,…

Universal 1256: Original High vowels tend to assimilate more readily and earlier than low vowels. Standardized High vowels tend to assimilate more readily and earlier…

Universal 1272: Original Categories which are used like the English pluperfect will tend to be nondistinct from remote past. Standardized IF categories are used like…

Universal 1288: subtraction &/v division ⇒ addition & multiplication Original Of the four fundamental arithmetical operations –addition and its inverse, subtraction, and multiplication and its…

Universal 1304: SOV ⇒ Plural affixes on N are suffixed Original If a language has SOV, plural affixes on noun (if any) are suffixed with…

Universal 1320: Original Among the deictic elements of every human language is one that denotes the speaker and one that denotes the addressee. Standardized Among…

Universal 1336: Original Universal Hierarchy of Markedness of basic word orders:SOV < SVO < OVS < VOS < VSO < OSV Standardized Universal Hierarchy of…

Universal 1352: Original A serialized augend is always larger than its addends. Standardized In numeral systems, a serialized augend is always larger than its addends.…