Implicational hierarchy: Difference between revisions

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'''Implicational hierarchy''' is a chain of implicational [[linguistic universal|universals]].

'''Implicational hierarchy''', in [[linguistics]], is a chain of implicational [[linguistic universal|universals]]. A set of chained universals is schematically shown as in (1):

(1) '''A >< B >< C >< D'''

It can be reformulated in the following way: If a language has property D, then it also has properties A, B, and C; if a language has a property C, then it also has properties A and B, etc. In other words, the implicational hierarchy defines the possible combinations of properties A, B, C, and D as listed in matrix (2):

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respectively:

(3) '''{{IPA|/ n /}} >< {{IPA|/ m /}} >< {{IPA|/ ɲ /}}'''

This hierarchy defines the following possible combinations of dental/alveolar, bilabial, and palatal voiced nasals in

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(4)

{| class="wikitable"

! width="50"| ||width="30"|{{IPA|/ n /}} ||width="30"|{{IPA|/ m /}}||width="30"|{{IPA|/ ɲ /}}

|-

| Type 1: || align='center'|{{IPA|/ n /}} || align='center'|{{IPA|/ m /}} ||align='center'|{{IPA|/ ɲ /}}

|-

| Type 2: || align='center'|{{IPA|/ n /}} || align='center'|{{IPA|/ m /}} || align='center'|-

|-

| Type 3: || align='center'|{{IPA|/ n /}} || align='center'|- ||align='center'|-

|}

In other words, the hierarchy implies that there are no languages with {{IPA|/ ɲ /}} but without {{IPA|/ m /}} and {{IPA|/ n /}}, or with {{IPA|/ ɲ /}} and {{IPA|/ m /}} but without {{IPA|/ n /}}.

==Morphology==

[[grammatical number|Number]] marking provides an example of implicational hierarchies in morphology.<br/>

(5) '''Number: singular < plural < dual < trial / paucal'''<br/>

[[grammatical number|Number]] marking provides an example of implicational hierarchies in morphology.<br/>

(5) '''Number: singular < plural < dual < trial / paucal'''<br/>

On the one hand, the hierarchy implies that no language distinguishes a trial unless having a dual, and no language has dual without a plural. On the other hand, the hierarchy provides implications for the morphological marking: if the plural is coded with a certain number of morphemes, then the dual is coded with at least as many morphemes.

==Syntax==

Implicational hierarchies also play a role in syntactic phenomena. For instance, in some languages (e.g. [[Tangut people|Tangut]]) the transitive verb agrees not with a subject, or the object, but with the syntactic argument which is higher on the person hierarchy.

(5) '''Person: first < second < third'''<br/>

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See also: [[animacy]].

==Bibliography==

* Comrie, B. (1989). ''Language universals and linguistic typology: Syntax and morphology.'' Oxford: Blackwell, 2nd edn.

* Croft, W. (1990). ''Typology and universals''. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

* Whaley, L.J. (1997). ''Introduction to typology: The unity and diversity of language.'' Newbury Park: Sage.

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[[Category:Linguistic typology]]