Universal 1591: internal relative clause ⇒ SOV

Universal 1591: internal relative clause ⇒ SOV

Original

Clear cases of internal relative clauses are present only in languages whose basic word order is SOV.

Standardized

IF there are internal relative clauses, THEN word order will be SOV.

Keywords

relative clause, internal (= replacive, =headless), order, SOV

Domain

syntax

Type

implication

Status

achronic

Quality

absolute

Basis

Tibetan (Tibeto-Karen, Sino-Tibetan), Diegueño (Hokan), Wappo (Yukian), Bambara (Mande, Niger-Congo), Quechua (Andean), Navajo (Athabaskan)

Source

Keenan 1985b: 163

Counterexamples