Universal 747: Aspect ⇒ perfective/imperfective

Universal 747: Aspect ⇒ perfective/imperfective

Original

The Universal of Tense-Aspect Organization:
If a language encodes an aspectual opposition in its verbal system, this opposition will hold between Imperfective and Perfective.

Standardized

IF there is an encoding of aspectual opposition in a verbal system, THEN this opposition will hold between Imperfective and Perfective.

Keywords

aspect, perfective, imperfective

Domain

inflection, syntax

Type

no genuine implication; rather: provided that

Status

achronic

Quality

absolute

Basis

sample of 410 languages in Stassen 1997

Source

Stassen 1997: 7.4

Counterexamples