On the Balkan Equivalents of a Language Universal (Expressions of the Type When Hell Freezes Over)

Based on data from more than fifty languages, the author of this paper has reached the conclusion that expressions of the type „when Hell freezes over“ form a language universal. The mechanism of this universal is shown. Expressions with this meaning from all present-day Balkan languages are further examined. The article advances several hypotheses concerning the diffusion and the possible interrelation of these expressions. The final idea of the paper is that Balkan linguistics is in no danger of running out of data for further investigation.