Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1360: Original Only a base is ever multiplied by 1. Standardized In numeral systems, only a base is ever multiplied by 1. Keywords numeral…

Universal 1376: FG (relative clause) on H(n) ⇒ FG (WH-question) on H(n) Original Relative Clause and WH-Question Filler: In languages that have filler-gap structures for…

Universal 1392: Original Deletion of past tenses in non-initial (or non-final) verbs of conjunctive series implies deletion of future tenses in the same environment. Standardized…

Universal 1408: Original The higher the number of principle phonemes, the higher the probability of redundancy. Standardized The higher the number of principle phonemes, the…

Universal 1424: Original Secondary oral stops, apart from borrowings, are the results of diachronic developments from clusters. Standardized Secondary oral stops, apart from borrowings, are…

Universal 1440: Original In no language are there pronominal forms differentiating the number of elements within a metaperson, e.g. special forms for ‘hearer + hearer…

Universal 1456: Original In an overwhelming majority of languages, if the metaperson ‘non-participant’ in the singular is not the only meaning denoted by some pronominal…

Universal 1472: Original In an overwhelming majority of languages, there is no special form to denote the metaperson ‘speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s)’. Standardized In…

Universal 1488: Original In ditransitive constructions, the theme/direct object may incorporate, but the goal/indirect object may not. Standardized In ditransitive constructions, the theme/direct object may…

Universal 1504: Original The endpoint configuration prediction:Any language which has a lexeme denoting motion out of or motion through some configuration will also have a…