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Universal 1970:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 1970:

Original
There are severe limitations on the kinds of synchronic patterns and diachronic restructurings which may occur in existential-copulative-auxiliary systems, and such patterns and changes are related to syntactic characteristics of a very general typological nature. In other words, a particular pattern of constructions of ‘being’ tends to reflect the general syntactic character of the language, and changes in the pattern tend to form part of general typological shifts.
Standardized
There are severe limitations on the kinds of synchronic patterns and diachronic restructurings which may occur in existential-copulative-auxiliary systems, and such patterns and changes are related to syntactic characteristics of a very general typological nature. In other words, a particular pattern of constructions of ‘being’ tends to reflect the general syntactic character of the language, and changes in the pattern tend to form part of general typological shifts.
Keywords
verb, existence, copula, auxiliary
Domain
inflection, syntax, semantics
Type
implication
Status
achronic, diachronic
Quality
statistical
Basis
Bengali, Amharic, impressionistic
Source
Ferguson 1972: 78
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    See #1975; spelled out by ##1978ff.

    1. May 2020

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