Universal 1300: postposition ⇒ Nominalizing affixes on N are suffixed

Universal 1300: postposition ⇒ Nominalizing affixes on N are suffixed

Original

If a language is postpositional, nominalizing affixes on noun (if any) are suffixed with considerably greater than chance frequency.

Standardized

IF there are postpositions, THEN nominalizing affixes on nouns are suffixed with considerably greater than chance frequency.

Keywords

order, postposition, noun, nominalization, affix-order, suffix

Domain

inflection, syntax

Type

implication

Status

achronic

Quality

statistical

Basis

200 languages drawn from three samples: a 113-language sample of L. Stassen, a 40-language sample of R. Perkins & J. Bybee, and a 50-language sample compiled by G. Gilligan

Source

Hawkins & Gilligan 1988: 223

Counterexamples

Gilligan’s sample: 94% of postpositional languages with nominalizing affixes are suffixing, 6% are prefixing.