Category: Universals Archive

Universal 812: distributive stress ⇒ ¬ reduced vowel Original Languages with distributive stress have no reduced vowels. Standardized IF there is distributive stress, THEN there…

Universal 828: rigid OV ⇒ RelN & ¬ right-extraposed clause Original The most consistent OV languages (e.g. Japanese and Turkish) have prenominal relatives and no…

Universal 844: Original A similar statement (cf. ) for initial clusters holds in almost all cases (that is, the existence of at least one cluster…

Universal 860: Original In final clusters, the existence of at least one sequence containing a stop immediately followed by an liquid implies the presence of…

Universal 876: Original In initial clusters, the existence of at least one cluster consisting of obstruent + nasal implies the existence of at least one…

Universal 892: Original See Graphics Standardized See Graphics for Moderate rhythmic holism Keywords syllable structure, stress, vowel harmony, vowel system Domain inflection, prosodic phonology Type…

Universal 908: Location word (adverb) > Object word (noun) > Property word (adjective) > Action word (verb) Original The Verbalization Hierarchy of Intransitive Main Predicates:Semantic:…

Universal 924: Original If in a given language, stressed syllabic consonants become non-syllabic or are lost, then nonstressed syllabic consonants have become nonsyllabic or have…

Universal 940: Original Nasal vowels, apart from borrowing and analogical formations, always result from the loss of a Primary Nasal Consonant. Standardized Nasal vowels, apart…

Universal 956: Original The presence of C1C2 makes -C2C1 as likely or more likely than -C1C2 Standardized The presence of C1C2– makes -C2C1 as likely…