Verb Subject Object
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Verb Subject Object (VSO) is a term in linguistic typology. It represents one type of languages when classifying languages according to the sequence of these constituents in neutral expressions: Ate Sam oranges.
Examples of languages with VSO word order include formal (especially Classical) Arabic, the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, that is Gaelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx) and Brythonic languages (Welsh, and Breton with the exception of Cornish[1]), Classic Maya, ancient Egyptian, Tagalog, Cebuano, Hawaiian, Pangasinan, Māori, Classical Hebrew, and Tongan.
Contents |
[edit] Examples
Formal Arabic is a prime example of a language that favors VSO. For example:
| Sentence | قرأ المدرس الكتاب | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words | الكتاب | المدرس | قرأ | ||
| DIN 31635 | al-kitāba | al-mudarrisu | Qara'a | ||
| Gloss (words are in reverse order as Arabic is written right-to-left) |
Read the teacher the book. | ||||
| Parts | Object | Subject | Verb | ||
| Translation | Read - the teacher - book. | ||||
In Welsh, in the present tense, the conjugated form of bod (to be) precedes the subject, and other verbs come after the subject (but before any objects)
| Sentence | Mae Lloyd yn siarad y Gymraeg | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words | Mae | Lloyd | yn siarad | y Gymraeg |
| Gloss | is | Lloyd | V-N.speak | DEF Welsh |
| Parts | Aux. Verb | Subject | Verb-Noun | Object |
| Translation | Lloyd speaks Welsh | |||
In other tenses, the main verb substitutes the form of bod at the beginning of the sentence. For example, in the preterite:
| Sentence | Siaradodd Lloyd y Gymraeg | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Words | Siaradodd | Lloyd | y Gymraeg |
| Gloss | spoke | Lloyd | DEF Welsh |
| Parts | Verb | Subject | Obect |
| Translation | Lloyd spoke Welsh | ||
[edit] Inversion into VSO
There are many languages which switch from SVO (Subject Verb Object) order to VSO order with different constructions, usually for emphasis. For example, sentences in English poetry can sometimes be found to have a VSO order; Arabic sentences use an SVO order or a VSO order depending on whether the subject or the verb is more important.
Non-VSO languages that use VSO word order in questions include English, many Germanic languages, French, Spanish (though not always).
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Jenner, Henri. 1904. A Handbook of the Cornish Language London: D. Nut p.158
