Universal 815: mora ⇒ ¬ monosyllabic tonal L Original Mora occurs only in non-monosyllabic tonal languages. Standardized IF moras matter [for what?], THEN the language…
Category: Universals Archive
Universals Archive
Universal 831:
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 831: Original Languages with two or more liquids are most likely to have at least one lateral, and a lateral/non-lateral contrast. Standardized In languages…
Universal 847:
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 847: Original In final clusters the presence of at least one combination of stop + stop implies the presence of at least one combination…
Universal 863:
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 863: Original In initial clusters the presence of at least one sequence of voiced nasal + unvoiced homorganic obstruent implies the presence of at…
Universal 879:
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 879: Original A language which has any affricates includes among them at least one in the dental-alveolar or alveo-palatal region. Standardized IF there are…
Universal 895: accusative structure ⇔ future/present/imperfective tense;
ergative structure ⇔ perfect/past/perfective tense
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 895: accusative structure ⇔ future/present/imperfective tense;ergative structure ⇔ perfect/past/perfective tense Original Provided there is actancy variation in terms of tense, accusative constructions will always…
Universal 911: subject > direct object > indirect object > oblique object
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 911: subject > direct object > indirect object > oblique object Original The grammatical encoding of the causee proceeds as follows: the causee occupies…
Universal 927:
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 927: Original A consonant may become syllabic only if it is an adjacent margin of a syncopated vowel. Standardized A consonant may become syllabic…
Universal 943:
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 943: Original A merger of oral vowels always presupposes the merger of the corresponding nasal vowels if they exist. Standardized IF there is a…
Universal 959: vowel harmony ⇒ ¬ vowel reduction;
vowel reduction ⇒ ¬ vowel harmony
Posted in Universals Archive
Universal 959: vowel harmony ⇒ ¬ vowel reduction;vowel reduction ⇒ ¬ vowel harmony Original Vowel harmony and vowel reduction typically do not co-occur. Standardized IF…