This paper draws from data on 123 languages to examine the semantics of comparative systems in an attempt to define as closely as possible the relationships that exist among three basic types of constructions and among their constituents. It is determined that superlatives mark absolute disparity, that comparatives mark relative disparity, and…

Metathesis was examined as a more or less systematic process that tends to preserve segments or features that would otherwise be lost or changed through the effects of other processes, notably reduction, assimilation, epenthesis, et al. It was also shown that metathesis is recessive as opposed to most other competing processes. With one exception,…

This paper discusses interrogative structures, based on the results and conclusions derived from comparing the interrogative systems of 79 randomly selected languages. The paper begins by listing a number of generalizations about interrogative structures based on disparate observations in the field. These generalizations constitute the basis for…