Re: German word order (was Re: ? how would you classify this language ?)

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 21:15:58 +0200, Jörg Rhiemeier
<joerg_rhiemeier@...> wrote:
> German is [...] VSO in yes-no questions
It's also VSO if there's an adverb in front of the verb, e.g. "Gestern
sah ich einen Tiger" or "Vermutlich hat er mich gesehen", or even
"Dann schoss ich mir ins Knie". (Not sure whether "dann" is an adverb,
though.)

Basically, it's VSO in main clauses as soon as there's something
non-subject in front of the verb, since that'll displace the subject
to after the verb in order to maintain the verb in second position.

> (in wh-questions, the
> interrogative pronoun is in first position, followed by the verb).
So it's also VSO in those cases.

Both "Isst du [gerade] Fisch?" (yes-no) and "Warum isst du Fisch?"
(wh-) have VSO word order.

Cheers,
--
Philip Newton <philip.newton@...>
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