Category: Universals Archive

Universal 1422: voiceless obstruent (word-finally) ⇒ sonorant consonant (word-finally) Original If there are voiceless obstruents word-finally, then there are sonorant consonants word-finally. Standardized IF there…

Universal 1438: anger & guilt > adoration, alarm, amusement, & depression > alienation, arousal, & agony > eagerness > anxiety, aggravation, & pride > contentment…

Universal 1454: Original In all languages, there is a special form to denote the metaperson ‘non-participant’. Standardized In all languages, there is a special form…

Universal 1470: Original In all languages, if the metaperson ‘hearer(s) + non-participant(s)’ is not the only meaning denoted by some form, then this form must…

Universal 1486: Incl/Excl (Du) ⇒ Incl/Excl (Pl) Original If in a language there is an opposition of the metapersons ‘speaker + hearer’ and ‘speaker +…

Universal 1502: Original If there are regular violations of the tonal pattern in imperative or vocative forms, then there is a special redistribution of tones…

Universal 1518: Original In subject-final languages noun phrase questions can always be formed by putting the question word, e.g., Who? What? etc., in a preverbal…

Universal 1534: verb-initial ⇒ QSent Original In verb-initial languages, the question particle, if any, occurs sentence initial in yes-no questions. Standardized IF word order is…

Universal 1550: verb-initial ⇒ N Rel Original In verb-initial languages the dominant order of relative clauses is always postnominal. Standardized IF word order is verb-initial,…

Universal 1566: Original If there is a group of deagentive reflexive constructions, where (a) the agent can be expressed,(b) there is no subject, and (c)…