Re: Greenberg's Word Order Universals

Nik wrote:

> Marcus Smith wrote:
> > 6. All languages with dominant VSO order have SVO as an alternative or as the
> > only alternative basic order.
>
> All?  There are none that are purely VSO?  Because Watakassí is purely
> verb-initial.
Greenberg may have been referring to the fact that verb-initial languages almost
always allow topicalized and/or focussed noun phrases to precede the verb.  In some
languages, this fronting is restricted to subjects, hence the "only alternative
basic order" addendum.

I'm sure someone else on this list could give examples from Celtic.  Here's an
example from Malagasy:  Normal word order is VSO/VOS:

  Namaky ny  boky ny  mpianatra
  read   the book the student
  "The student read the book"

However, when two or more subjects are being contrasted, they precede the verb:

  Ny  mpianatra namaky ny  boky, ny  mpampianatra nihaino
  the student   read   the book  the teacher      listened
  "The student read the book, (but) the teacher listened"


> > The dual and the trial are almost never expressed by zero.
>
> "Almost never"?  There are langs wherein they are expressed by zero?
Greenberg might have been referring to languages where certain body parts have an
unmarked dual form and a marked singular.  E.g., the most basic form for "eye" in
the language might be a word meaning "pair of eyes"; to form the word meaning "a
single eye", an affix would be added.  (Doesn't Hungarian do this?)

Matt.