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Universal 474:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 474:

Original
Correlation between Types of Exponence and the Number of Terms of inflexional categories (TENT):
Cumulative and sensitive separatist exponents limit the number of terms that may potentially realize inflexional categories more severely than insensitive separatist exponents.
Standardized
Correlation between Types of Exponence and the Number of Terms of inflexional categories:
Cumulative and sensitive separatist exponents limit the number of terms that may potentially realize inflexional categories more severely than insensitive separatist exponents.
Keywords
exponent, cumulation, sensitivity
Domain
inflection
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
languages mentioned in Plank 1986
Source
Plank 1986: 33
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    Cumulative exponents simultaneously express at least two co-occurring inflexional categories without being formally segmentable into two or more parts, while separatist exponents express only one inflexional category of a word form. Exponents can be further distinguished as sensitive and insensitive. Sensitive exponents are alternative expressions of the terms of an inflexional category, the choice among which is conditioned by lexical or morphological, rather than phonological (or may be semantic), properties of co-occurring morphemes; exponents are insensitive when lacking such alternants. Both cumulative and separatist exponents may be sensitive or insensitive. The universal is one-way conditional insofar as two variables are claimed to interact. “Licensing” is probably a better way of conceiving of the relation than “implying”.The universal is being tested for case in this paper (see #477): When case is cumulated with another category, notably number, there won’t be more than medium-sized case paradigms (comprising around 10 cases); when case is not cumulated, there can be large or extra-large case paradigms (up to some 30, as in Hungarian; Daghestanian doesn’t have more, really: it only combines cases with other categories).

    1. May 2020

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