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Universal 53:

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 53:

Original
In the construction of possessive attribution, only the possessor may agree in case with the possessum, while only the possessum may agree in person with the possessor.
Standardized
In the construction of possessive attribution, only the possessor may agree in case with the possessum, while only the possessum may agree in person with the possessor.
Keywords
possessor, possessee, agreement, case, person
Domain
inflection, syntax
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
absolute
Basis
?
Source
C. Lehmann 1988: 57, Plank 1991c: 537 (review)
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    To bring out the implicational connection more clearly:IF a constituent in an attributive possessive construction is not a possessor, THEN it may not agree in case with the possessum; IF a constituent in an attributive possessive construction is not a possessum, THEN it may not agree in person with the possessor. Reformulation, looked at from the point of view of agreement features:In attributive possessive constructions, when Case is an agreement feature, then the possessor must be the target and the possession the controller, while when Person is an agreement feature, then the possessum must be the target and the possessor the controller.

    1. May 2020

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