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The best-supported language universals refer to scalar patterns deriving from processing cost
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 October 2009
Abstract
Conditional universals have always interested linguists more than unrestricted universals, which are often impossible to demonstrate empirically because categories cannot be defined in a cross-linguistically meaningful way. But deep dependencies have not been confirmed by more recent empirical research, and those universals with solid empirical support mostly relate to scalar patterns that can plausibly be related to processing cost.
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009
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