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Universal 1686:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 1686:

Original
If SVO languages or VSO languages derank their consecutive chains, it will derank posterior predicates.
Standardized
IF basic order is either SVO or VSO and there is deranking of consecutive chains, THEN there will be deranking of posterior predicates.
Keywords
deranking, order, SVO, VSO
Domain
syntax
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
statistical
Basis
sample of 110 languages
Source
Stassen 1985: 90
Counterexamples
Finnish (Finno-Ugric), English, Dutch, and French (all Indo-European) are all cases of SVO language which have at least marginal possibilities for deranking, and these languages all prefer anterior deranking procedures; Classical Arabic and Biblical Hebrew (both Semitic, Afro-Asiatic) are VSO and have a marginal possibility to derank C-chains, and the procedure which they prefer is the deranking of the anterior predicate. (Stassen 1985: 90)

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    1. The deranked consecutive chains can be divided into two typologically significant classes, on the basis of whether it is the anterior predicate or the posterior predicate which is affected by the deranking procedure. The first class is referred to as ANTERIOR (CONSECUTIVE) DERANKING, the second one as POSTERIOR (CONSECUTIVE) DERANKING.2. Cf. #1690.

    1. May 2020

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