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Universal 984: separative comparative ⇒ absolute anterior consecutive deranking & total identity deletion

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 984: separative comparative ⇒ absolute anterior consecutive deranking & total identity deletion

Original
Languages with a separative comparative are languages with absolute anterior consecutive deranking and total identity deletion.
Standardized
IF there is separative comparative, THEN there is absolute anterior consecutive deranking and total identity deletion.
Keywords
comparative, deranking, identity deletion
Domain
syntax
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
statistical
Basis
sample of 110 languages
Source
Stassen 1984: 172, Stassen 1985: 107
Counterexamples
Nama (Khoisan), Breton (Celtic, Indo-European), and Guarani (Tupi) have an Adverbial Comparative, but no absolute sequences (for discussion of these counterexamples see Stassen 1985: 132ff.)

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    1. The separative comparative is an instance of fixed-case comparative constructions, in which the standard NP is invariably encoded as a constituent part of an adverbial phrase with a separative (‘source’) interpretation.2. The deranked consecutive chains can be divided into two typologically significant classes, on the basis of whether it is the anterior predicate or the posterior predicate which is affected by the deranking procedure. The first class is referred to as ANTERIOR (CONSECUTIVE) DERANKING, the second one as POSTERIOR (CONSECUTIVE) DERANKING. 3. Languages in which the deranking procedure does not obtain a structural condition on subject-identity and where a deranked predicate can have its own overt subject are called ABSOLUTE deranking languages. 4. Cf. ##988, 994.

    1. May 2020

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