science

Implicational hierarchy

Implicational hierarchy is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Implicational hierarchy rather than just read about it. In short: Implicational hierarchy, in linguistics, 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.

Key takeaways

Implicational hierarchy belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Implicational hierarchy to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Implicational hierarchy from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Implicational hierarchy, in linguistics, 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.

Syntax 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.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Implicational hierarchy

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Implicational hierarchy claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Implicational hierarchy before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Implicational hierarchy ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Implicational hierarchy

In research: Implicational hierarchy appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Implicational hierarchy in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Implicational hierarchy is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Linguistic typology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Implicational hierarchy outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Implicational hierarchy” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Implicational hierarchy in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Implicational hierarchy means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Implicational hierarchy out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Implicational hierarchy in simple terms?

Why does Implicational hierarchy matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Implicational hierarchy?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Implicational hierarchy.