Category: Universals Archive

Universal 703: Original The number of vowels in a column of interior vowels cannot exceed the number in the front or back columns. Standardized IF…

Universal 719: Original Languages which permit a sequence of unlike tones on a word or morpheme also permit like tones on a word or morpheme.…

Universal 735: predicate nominals encoded verbally ⇒ predicate adjectives encoded verbally Original The Adjective-Nominal Universal:If predicate nominals are encoded verbally, then predicative adjectives are encoded…

Universal 751: Original The Multiple-Switch Universal:In a language with tense-induced M-switching, category switching (if any) is restricted to Present Tense. Standardized IF there is tense-induced…

Universal 767: Original If a language has only one primary fricative its primary allophone is most likely to be /s/. Standardized IF there is only…

Universal 783: Original In a given language, the number of primary oral affricates will be less than the number of primary oral stops. Standardized The…

Universal 799: non-tensedness ⇔ verby adjectives Original The Tensedness Universals of Adjective Encoding:B. If a language is non-tensed, it will have verby adjectives. If a…

Universal 815: mora ⇒ ¬ monosyllabic tonal L Original Mora occurs only in non-monosyllabic tonal languages. Standardized IF moras matter [for what?], THEN the language…

Universal 831: Original Languages with two or more liquids are most likely to have at least one lateral, and a lateral/non-lateral contrast. Standardized In languages…

Universal 847: Original In final clusters the presence of at least one combination of stop + stop implies the presence of at least one combination…