Universal 213: derived-case comparative ⇒ balancing
- Original
- If a language has a derived-case comparative, then that language is balancing.
- Standardized
- IF there is a derived-case comparative, THEN clause-combining is balancing.
- Keywords
- comparative, case, clause-combining, balancing
- Domain
- inflection, syntax
- Type
- implication
- Status
- achronic
- Quality
- absolute
- Basis
- sample of 110 languages in Stassen 1985
- Source
- Stassen 1985: 106 (Univ. 1A)
- Counterexamples
1. derived-case: the standard NP appears to derive its case assignment from the case into which the comparee NP in the construction has been put;Ex. if the comparee NP is in the NOM (or ACC), the standard NP will also be marked for NOM (or ACC).2. balancing: chaining constructions in which predicates, which express the two relevant actions, remain of the same rank are balanced constructions; Languages which choose this encoding option are balancing languages. 3. With regard to the encoding of the standard NP in comparatives, DERIVED-CASE comparatives and FIXED-CASE comparatives are distinguished. In derived-case comparatives, the grammatical case assigned to the standard NP appears not to be unique; that is, the standard NP is not put into one single case in all the instances of the comparative construction. Instead, the standard NP appears to derive its case assignment from the case into which the comparee NP in the construction has been put. The Latin ‘quam’-comparative is an instance of derived case.