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Re: V2

From:Sally Caves <scaves@...>
Date:Sunday, April 16, 2000, 17:34
Carlos Thompson wrote:

> V2 languages are languages that have the verb in the second position. This > means that the usual stucture is SVO (or OVS), as English, but unlike > English, when another part of the struct is fronted, the verb remainds in > the second position and the subject falls in the thrird. > i.e. > jag läser tidningen idag > S V O C > > idag läser jag tidningen > C V S O > > tidningen läser jag idag > O V S C > > The same sample in Eglish: > > I read the newspaper today > S V O C > > today I read the newspaper > C S V O > > the newspaper I read today > O S V C > > while in English the SV order is strcit, in Swedish, and most Germanic > languages, the second position of the verb is strict.
The same is true of Old English, where SV is reversed when an adverb fronts the sentence, as in this made up sentence--Ceolstan, son of Wulfstan, acquired (lit. seized to) the realm of Essex: Ceolstan Wulfstanes sunu feng to Esseaxna rice S v But: Her feng Ceolstan Wulfstanes sunu to Esseaxna rice Adv V S (Borrowed this shamelessly from the Chronicles, but I couldn't quite remember the names--Aethelbeorht, Aethelbryhtes brothor...)
> > I could generalize that V1 languages are thos with verb in the first place: > VSO and VOS... but don quote me for that.
What about verbs that resolutely stay in final position? As in Teonaht? ============================================================ SALLY CAVES scaves@frontiernet.net http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves (bragpage) http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/teonaht.html (T. homepage) http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/contents.html (all else) ===================================================================== Niffodyr tweluenrem lis teuim an. "The gods have retractible claws." from _The Gospel of Bastet_ ============================================================