Implicational hierarchy

Implicational hierarchy

Implicational hierarchy is a chain of implicational 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):

Implicational hierarchies are a useful tool in capturing linguistic generalizations pertaining the different components of the language. They are found in all subfields of grammar.

Phonology

(3) is an example of an implicational hierarchy concerning the distribution of nasal phonemes across languages, which concerns dental/alveolar, bilabial, and palatal voiced nasals, respectively: (3) / n / > / m / > / ɲ /

This hierarchy defines the following possible combinations of dental/alveolar, bilabial, and palatal voiced nasals in the phoneme inventory of a language:

(4) In other words, the hierarchy implies that there are no languages with / ɲ / but without / m / and / n /, or with / ɲ / and / m / but without / n /.

Morphology

Number marking provides an example of implicational hierarchies in morphology.

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

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.

yntax

Implicational hierarchies also play a role in syntactic phenomena. For instance, in some languages (e.g. 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 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.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hierarchy (disambiguation) — The concept of hierarchy, originally meaning rule by priests , has been used metaphorically to describe many different things. See Hierarchy for the main article, and also: * Hierarchical organization * Hierarchy (mathematics) * Containment… …   Wikipedia

  • Division of labour — is the specialisation of cooperative labour in specific, circumscribed tasks and like roles. Historically an increasingly complex division of labour is closely associated with the growth of total output and trade, the rise of capitalism, and of… …   Wikipedia

  • Markedness — Unmarked redirects here. For undecorated law enforcement vehicles, see Police car#Functional types. Markedness is a specific kind of asymmetry relationship between elements of linguistic or conceptual structure. In a marked unmarked relation, one …   Wikipedia

  • formal logic — the branch of logic concerned exclusively with the principles of deductive reasoning and with the form rather than the content of propositions. [1855 60] * * * Introduction       the abstract study of propositions, statements, or assertively used …   Universalium

  • logic, history of — Introduction       the history of the discipline from its origins among the ancient Greeks to the present time. Origins of logic in the West Precursors of ancient logic       There was a medieval tradition according to which the Greek philosopher …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”