Towards a source-oriented approach to typological universals

Typological universals are skewed distributional patterns whereby languages recurrently display certain grammatical as opposed to others. Explanations for these usually based on their synchronic properties, not actual diachronic processes that shape the pattern cross-linguistically. The paper discusses evidence about origins of some typological pertaining word order and aspect/tense conditioned alignment splits. This poses two general challenges synchronically explanations universals. First, relevant do obviously arise because principles postulated account grounds. Second, development is a combined result multiple processes. These facts point new, source-oriented approach universals, one focusing what source constructions developmental mechanisms play role in shaping individual patterns, rather than properties itself.