Word order
Categories: Linguistic typology | Syntax
Word order, in linguistic typology, refers to the order in which words appear in sentences across different languages. In many languages, changes in word order occur due to topicalization or in questions. However, all languages are generally assumed to have a basic word order. That word order is unmarked. That is, it contains no extra information to the listener. For example, English is SVO, as in "I don't know this," but OSV is possible: "This I don't know." This process is called topic-fronting (also topicalization or focus fronting) and is extremely common. The OSV is a marked word order because it emphasises the object.
An example of OSV being used for emphasis:
- A: I can't see Jill.
- B: What about Bill?
- A: Bill I can see. (rather than I can see Bill)
Sentence word orders
These are all possible word orders for the subject, verb, and object in the order of most common to rarest:
- SOV languages include the prototypical Japanese, Turkish and Korean, as well as many others using this most common word order. Some, like Persian, have SOV normal word order but conform less to the general tendencies of other such languages.
- Verb-second, or V2, languages, such as Dutch and German have SOV characteristics in subordinate clauses.
- Chinese, while appearing to be an SVO language, has a topic-comment-based structure.
- VSO languages include Classical Arabic, the Insular Celtic languages and Hawai'ian.
- VOS languages include Fijian and Malagasy.
- OSV languages include Xavante and Sardinian.
- OVS languages include Hixkaryana.
- Others, such as Latin have no 'standard' word order (although in the case of Latin SOV is the most frequent word order), meaning that the sentence structure is extremely flexible.
It is not understood why word orders with the subject before the object are much more common than word orders with the object before the subject.
Some languages can be said to have more than one basic word order. French is SVO, but it incorporates or cliticizes objective pronouns before the verb. This makes French SOV in some sentences.
Phrase Word Orders
Main Article: Branching
There are additional trends in word order. SOV languages generally put modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) before what they modify, and use postpositions. VSO languages put modifiers after, and use prepositions. For SVO languages, either order is possible.
For example: French is SVO. It uses prepositions (preposition-object), and places adjectives after (head-modifier). However, a small class of adjectives generally go before their heads.
On the other hand, English adjectives always go first (modifier-head). Adverbs can go either way, but initially is more common. English uses prepositions.de:Satzgliedstellung ja:語順