Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1332: Original If a language has a vowel system, it has contrasts of tongue height in that system. Standardized IF there are contrasts of…

Universal 1348: Original A subtrahend is always a simple lexical expression. Standardized In numeral systems, a subtrahend is always a simple lexical expression. Keywords numeral…

Universal 1364: Original In systems with more than one base, there is a base, the base for predictable explanation, above which in all numerals certain…

Universal 1380: Original Question-word Fronting and Basic Word Order:A fronted WH-question word will be preferred across languages in proportion to the distance between WH and…

Universal 1396: locative argument reduced adverbials ⇒ temporal argument-reduced adverbials Original If a language has predicate-reduced adverbials, then at least some of them will have…

Universal 1412: Original All languages have constructions whose primary function is to place new or contrastive topics at the beginning of the sentence. Standardized All…

Universal 1428: ¬ preverb ⇒ verb bases denoting direction Original If a language lacks preverbs, it must have special verb bases denoting direction. Standardized IF…

Universal 1444: Original In all languages, if the metaperson ‘speaker’ is not the only meaning denoted by a certain pronominal form, then among its meanings…

Universal 1460: Original In all languages, if some form denotes the metaperson ‘speaker + hearer(s)’, it must also denote the metaperson ‘speaker + hearer(s) +…

Universal 1476: Original In an overwhelming majority of languages, if some form denotes the metaperson ‘speaker + hearer(s) + non-participant(s)’, then it cannot denote the…