Month: May 2020

Universal 1005: spiratized dentals ⇒ spirantized labials & spirantized velars Original … across-the-board spirantization processes tend to start with labials and velars and then spread…

Universal 1004: Original An utterance boundary is necessarily also a word boundary (but not necessarily the reverse), i.e. if a word cannot begin with a…

Universal 1003: vowel > semivowel > liquid > spirant > sibilant > nasal > stop Original Resonance Hierarchy:vowel > semivowel > liquid > spirant >…

Universal 1002: Original Voluntary metatheses imply non-phonological causes. Standardized If a metathesis is synchronically regular, THEN it is not phonologically conditioned. Keywords metathesis Domain phonology,…

Universal 1001: Original Front vowels predominantly correspond to diminutive and associated categories. Standardized Front vowels predominantly correspond to diminutive and associated categories. Keywords iconicity Domain…

Universal 1000: Original In patterned symbolic processes (particularly distance symbolism), vowel ablaut has the highest frequency of occurrence and most random language distribution both geographically…

Universal 999: Original Terminal intonations are almost universally low or falling for finality and assertion, and high or rising for the opposite, including yes-no questions.…

Universal 2008: Original … lowering of a back nasal vowel implies lowering of the corresponding front nasal vowel. Standardized IF a back nasal vowel is…

Universal 998: Exceed-1 Comparative ⇒ adjectives are verby Original If a language has an Exceed-1 (i.e. a serial) Comparative, it is verby. If an Exceed…

Universal 997: posterior consecutive deranking & VSO ⇒ absolute deranking Original If a language has posterior consecutive deranking and its word order is VSO, then…