Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1096: Original There is an overall distinction between Type A and B languages, with the following correlations (i.e. mutual implications) of opposite properties defining…

Universal 1112: ¬ subject raising ⇒ ¬ full passive Original Subject Raising Constraint:No argument of an object complement sentence can be raised into subject position.Any…

Universal 1128: incorporation (subjects and objects) ⇒ ¬ case-marking v ergative case-marking Original If subjects and objects can be incorporated into verbs, then they are…

Universal 1144: passive (stative verbs) ⇒ passive (activity verbs) Original If a language has passives of stative verbs (e.g. ‘lack’, ‘have’ etc.) then it has…

Universal 1160: Original Any noun that is pronominalizable may take a definite article, but of these, only those that are numerable may take an indefinite…

Universal 1176: Original Terms for ‘pupil (of the eye)’ are most likely to be derived from nouns denoting a small human like a baby, or…

Universal 1192: Original If the head of a restrictive relative clause does not function as the subject of the restricting clause then that subject must…

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,…