syntactic universals

Syntactic universals are basic patterns or rules shared by all human languages about how words combine to form sentences. Despite differences across languages, certain features—like using subjects, verbs, and objects—are common. These universals suggest that all humans have an inherent capacity for language structure, shaped by our brains. They help linguists understand the fundamental principles underlying language diversity and indicate that, at a core level, human languages are more similar than different.