Universal 1643: VSO ⇒ ¬ subordinating serial verb phrase structures
- Original
- VSO languages with subordinating serial verb phrase constructions are not attested.
- Standardized
- IF basic order is VSO, THEN there will be no subordinating serial verb phrase constructions.
- Keywords
- order, VSO, serial verb
- Domain
- syntax
- Type
- implication
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- statistical
- Basis
- languages surveyed by Shiller 1990
- Source
- Shiller 1990: 396
- Counterexamples
This is not surprising since such languages lack a verb phrase constituent necessary to the definition of subordinating serial verb phrase construction. Coordinating serial verb constructions are possible, however. (Shiller 1990: 396-397)