Re: V2

Dale Morris skrev:

> Matt Pearson:
> >     [ John ]  GAVE  [ the book ]  [ to Daniel ]  [ yesterday ]
> >     [ the book ]  GAVE  [ John ]  [ to Daniel ]  [ yesterday ]
> >     [ to Daniel ]  GAVE  [ John ]  [ the book ]  [ yesterday ]
> >     [ yesterday ]  GAVE  [ John ]  [ the book ]  [ to Daniel ]
> >
> >  In other words, V2 languages can be SVOX, OVSX, or XVSO.
>      So in these languages can the subject and object only be =
determined by
> inflection and/or context? =20
[I know this has been replied to, but perhaps I can add something]
As a native V2 speaker (Swedish), there is no case marking on the NP:s
(only pronouns, and only animate pronouns; in fact 3pl is on its
way of having no subj/obj distionction)
and no marking of person on the verbs either. But 60% of the time
the word order is SVO and thus a subject is first. 25% of the
time an adverbal phrase is first and only around 15% of the sentences
in everyday speech are object first. The normal way of knowing if the
first word is subject or object is either context, prosody or=20
the fact that subjects often are animate and objects inanimate.
In case of prosody, a sentence initial object is emphasized. Like:
'THE BOOK gave John to Daniel' (in fact, John didn't give me a book
yesterday... ;)

> Or are certain of the above patterns used in
> specific situations?
Only as a way of topicalize different constituents.

/ Daniel Andreasson