Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1574: Original If there are any reflexive verbs built by adding reflexive marker and an affix (or a predicative adjective, etc.), some of these…

Universal 1590: Original Verb-medial languages exhibit a slight preposing tendency, but a strong tendency not to affix preposed material. Standardized IF basic order is verb-medial,…

Universal 1606: Original Hierarchy of nasalization spread: vowels, h, glottal stop > oral glides > liquids. Standardized IF nasalization spreads from a contextually nasalized vowel…

Universal 1622: Original If a language has a distinct class of adjectives, then nouns are generally characterised by the feature [+ Shape]. Standardized IF there…

Universal 1638: Original It is characteristic for reflexive markers to develop into decausative markers cross-linguistically, and there is no evidence of the reverse process. Standardized…

Universal 1654: visual > non-visual > inferential > quotative, OR direct > indirect Original The Evidentiality Hierarchy:visual > non-visual > inferential > quotative, OR direct…

Universal 1670: Original In contiguous syllables, a contour tone may be more likely to appear if one of the two tones is low. Standardized IF…

Universal 1686: Original If SVO languages or VSO languages derank their consecutive chains, it will derank posterior predicates. Standardized IF basic order is either SVO…

Universal 1702: Original The Nucleus Law:A nucleus is the more preferred: (a) the steadier its speech sound, and (b) the less the Consonantal Strength of…

Universal 1718: indefinite article co-occurs with nouns accompanied by possessors ⇒ definite article co-occurs with nouns accompanied by possessors Original If indefinite articles co-occur with…