Universal
From KneeQuickie
A linguistic universal is an element of language that is true for all natural languages, even those unrelated to each other. Despite many attempts to collect and list them, the existence and content of universals remain hotly disputed among linguists. Some very basic universals include communication as the primary function of a language and the use of consonants and vowels, but there is strong evidence for others, such as all languages having at least three of the following: /p t k ?/.
There is much debate over whether universals stem from innate biological features of humanity or from practical limitations of consistancy and intellibility.
Universals are often divided into absolutes, which hold true for all languages period, and tendencies, which languages follow overwhelmingly but may still deviate from. Universals may also be conditional, applying only to languages with certain features or typology.
Near certain universals
- All languages have both consonants and vowels.
- All languages have at least two open classes equivalent to verbs and nouns.
- All languages structure utterances through tree structures.
- All languages have pronouns or pronominal morphemes.
- All languages distinguish dependent and independent clauses.
Suspected universals
- All languages have at least three of the following: /p t k ?/.
- All languages have the vowel /a/ or /A/.
- In languages with SOV word order, adpositions follow rather than proceed the noun. (A tendency rather than absolute)
