Category: Universals Archive

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…

Universal 1734: Original The definite article may govern but is never governed by a noun-phrase-internal constituent. Standardized The definite article may govern but is never…

Universal 1750: Original If the distinction between ordinal and cardinal forms for the number 1 at some decade is by suppletion, then it is also…

Universal 1766: Original Nasal effacement applies to tautosyllabic nasals in preference to heterosyllabic nasals. Standardized IF heterosyllabic (intervocalic) nasals are effaced [deleted?], THEN tautosyllabic (preconsonantal)…

Universal 1782: Original If a language has fricative + stop onset clusters, then it has fricative + fricative onset clusters. Standardized IF there are fricative…

Universal 1798: Original There is a tendency for obstruents to be devoiced more often finally then initially. Standardized IF obstruents are devoiced initially, THEN they…

Universal 1814: Original Standardized IF there is a labialized voiceless uvular fricative, THEN there is a also voiceless uvular fricative. Keywords fricative, labial, uvular, voice…