| Linguistic typology |
|---|
| Morphological |
| Morphosyntactic |
| Word order |
| Lexicon |
Inlinguistic typology, averb–subject–object (VSO) language has its most typical sentences arrange their elements in that order, as inAte Sam apples (Sam ate apples). VSO is the third-most commonword order among the world's languages,[1] afterSOV (as inHindi andJapanese) andSVO (as inEnglish andMandarin Chinese).
Language families in which all or many of their members are VSO include the following:
Many languages, such as Greek, have relativelyfree word order, where VSO is one of many possible orders. Other languages, such as Spanish and Romanian, allow rather freesubject-verb inversion. However, the most basic, common, andunmarked form in these languages is SVO, so they are classified as SVO languages.
Standard Arabic is an example of a language that uses VSO:
يَقْرَأُ
yaqraʼu
reads
verb
ٱلْمُدَرِّسُ
l-mudarrisu
the teacher
subject
ٱلْكِتابَ
l-kitāba
the book
object
يَقْرَأُ ٱلْمُدَرِّسُ ٱلْكِتابَ
yaqraʼu l-mudarrisu l-kitāba
reads {the teacher} {the book}
verb subject object
The teacher reads the book
^*Arabic script is writtenright-to-left
Another Semitic language,Biblical Hebrew, uses VSO, as inGenesis 1:1, which is seen here, and many other places in theTanakh:
בָּרָא
Bara
created
verb
אֱלֹהִים
Elohim
God
subject
הַשָּׁמַיִם
ha-shamayim...
the heavens
object
בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם
Bara Elohim et ha-shamayim...
created God PTCL** {the heavens}
verb subject {} object
God created the heavens...
^**et is a particle marking the direct object of the verb.
^**TheHebrew script is written from right to left.
InWelsh, some tenses use simple verbs, which are found at the beginning of the sentence and are followed by the subject and any objects. An example is thepreterite:
Siaradodd
spoke
Verb
Aled
Aled
Subject
Siaradodd Aled {y Gymraeg}
spoke Aled {DEF Welsh}
Verb Subject Object
Aled spoke Welsh.
Other tenses may use compound verbs in which the conjugated form of usuallybod (to be) precedes the subject and other verb-nouns come after the subject. Objects then follow the final verb-noun. Here is the usual method of forming thepresent tense:
Mae
is
Aux. Verb
Aled
Aled
Subject
Mae Aled {yn siarad} {y Gymraeg}
is AledV-N.speak {DEF Welsh}
{Aux. Verb} Subject Verb-Noun Object
Aled speaks Welsh.
InIrish, phrases also use VSO:
Seán
Seán
Subject
arán
bread
Object
Itheann Seán arán
eat-PRS Seán bread
Verb Subject Object
Sean eats bread.
In Irish, in forming a question, the same order is used (with aninterrogative particle in front):
tú
you
Subject
arán
bread
Object
An itheann tú arán
Q eat-PRS you bread
{Question part.} Verb Subject Object
Do you eat bread?
The typological classification ofBreton syntax is problematic. It has been claimed that Breton has an underlying VSO character, but it appears at first sight thatV2 is the most frequent pattern. That arises as a result of a process usually involving the subject noun phrasebeing fronted. It has been suggested that the fronting has arisen from a development in which clefting and fronting, which are very common in Celtic languages, became completely pervasive. A very similar development is seen in literaryMiddle Welsh but did not continue intoModern Welsh.
InSamoan, as in otherPolynesian languages, the default word order is VSO, in which verbs and copulas are found at the beginning of a sentence. However, the object of the predicate can be emphasized by using aVOS order.[4]
lona atali‘i
his son
Object
{Sā tuli} {e le tamāloa} {lona atali‘i}
{PAST chase} {ERG DEF man} {his son}
Verb Subject Object
The man chased his son.
There is some tendency in many languages to switch constructions for emphasis. Particularly, sentences inEnglish poetry are sometimes written in VSO, andEarly Modern English explicitly reflects the tacit VSO order that is found in Modern English by suppressing the imperative's now-understood subject. For example, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" contrasts with modern "Gather rosebuds while you may".
Arabic sentences use either SVO or VSO, depending on whether the subject or the verb is more important. Sociolinguistic factors also influence sentence structure especially since colloquialvarieties of Arabic generally prefer SVO, but VSO is more common inStandard Arabic.[5]
Non-VSO languages that use VSO inquestions includeEnglish and many otherGermanic languages such asGerman andDutch, as well asFrench,Finnish,Maká, andEmilian.
In languages withV2 word order, such as mostGermanic languages except for Modern English, as well asIngush andOʼodham, the verb is always the second element in a main clause. The subject precedes the verb by default, but if another word or phrase is put at the front of the clause, the subject is moved to the position immediately after the verb. For example, the German sentenceIch esse oft Rinderbraten (I often eat roast beef) is in the standard SVO word order, with the adverboft (often) immediately after the verb. However, if that adverb is moved to the beginning of the sentence for emphasis, the subjectich (I) is moved to the third position, which places the sentence in VSO order:Oft esse ich Rinderbraten.