Category: Universals Archive

Universal 197: Original No set of case marking elements both precede the head noun and participate in agreement. Standardized IF a relational marker (case, adposition)…

Universal 213: derived-case comparative ⇒ balancing Original If a language has a derived-case comparative, then that language is balancing. Standardized IF there is a derived-case…

Universal 229: number (noun) ⇒ case (noun) Original If nominals inflect for number, they also inflect for case. Standardized IF nominals inflect for number, THEN…

Universal 245: free order ⇒ inflection (nominal); rigid order ⇒ ¬ inflection (nominal) Original If constituent order is free without limits, then nominal words are…

Universal 261: ergative language ⇒ ObjectSubject markers Original In ergative languages personal verb affixes are arranged such that the object marker almost always precedes the…

Universal 277: VOS ⇒ ¬ verbal inflection Original If a language has VOS order, then it has no verbal inflection. Standardized IF basic order is…

Universal 293: verb agreement (DO) ⇒ verb agreement (SUBJ) Original In all languages: if the verb agrees with the direct object, it agrees with the…

Universal 309: Original In the overwhelming majority of languages the citation form belongs to the syntactical form of the nominative*. Standardized The citation form of…

Universal 325: Original If the verb agrees with subject and object and there are forms with the following arrangement of agreement affixes: s-o-V and V-s-o,…

Universal 341: Original If the dominant position of the subject with respect to the verb depends on their morphological characteristics, the dominant order in such…