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1. May 2020
FP
One Comment

Universal 1633: verb-final ⇒ ¬ Wh-movement

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 1633: verb-final ⇒ ¬ Wh-movement

Original
There is a definite negative correlation between Question-word Movement and verb-final ordering.
Standardized
IF basic order is verb-final, THEN there will be no WH-movement, and vice versa.
Keywords
order, verb-final, Wh-movement
Domain
syntax
Type
mutual implication
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
unspecified
Source
Bach 1971: 161
Counterexamples
FP

FP

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One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    1. Cf. Greenberg’s universal 12 (#499), statistically confirmed by Ultan, that Question Movement seems to be confined to non-SOV languages. 2. Bach is not claiming the opposite implication of Greenberg’s, since there are SVO languages (for example Tlingit (Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit), Thai (Daic), and Arabic (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic)) without Question Movement.[Is Arabic generally SVO? ]3. Cf. a similar generalization by Baker (#1637) on languages with free word order.

    1. May 2020

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