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Factors influencing word ordering

  • Thomas Wasow
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Word Order Variation
This chapter is in the book Word Order Variation

Abstract

A number of factors have been shown to influence word order preferences, both across languages and within particular languages. These include preferences for: subject before object; verb adjacent to direct object; short phrases before long phrases or the reverse, depending on the headedness pattern of the language; old information before new information; and more accessible before less accessible information. Plausible explanations for many of such word order tendencies have been offered in terms of ease of processing, discourse coherence, or nuances of meaning to be expressed.

Abstract

A number of factors have been shown to influence word order preferences, both across languages and within particular languages. These include preferences for: subject before object; verb adjacent to direct object; short phrases before long phrases or the reverse, depending on the headedness pattern of the language; old information before new information; and more accessible before less accessible information. Plausible explanations for many of such word order tendencies have been offered in terms of ease of processing, discourse coherence, or nuances of meaning to be expressed.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Factors influencing word ordering 1
  5. Proximal to distal: Information flow and order in Maa 15
  6. Word order variation in Middle Iranic: Persian, Parthian, Bactrian, and Sogdian 39
  7. Word order in Mukri Kurdish – the case of incorporated Targets 63
  8. Targets and other postverbal arguments in Southern Balochi: A multidimensional cline 89
  9. Word order in contact and the expression of Target in Northern Domari 127
  10. The evolution of VO and OV alternation in Romeyka 141
  11. Word order in Iran-Turkic 163
  12. Word order variation in Chulym Turkic of Siberia 181
  13. Copulas and Target phrase positioning in the Arabic dialects of Kurdistan 197
  14. Word order typology in North-Eastern Neo- Aramaic 235
  15. Index of Authors 259
  16. Index of Languages 262
  17. Index of Subjects 264
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110790368-001

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Factors influencing word ordering 1
  5. Proximal to distal: Information flow and order in Maa 15
  6. Word order variation in Middle Iranic: Persian, Parthian, Bactrian, and Sogdian 39
  7. Word order in Mukri Kurdish – the case of incorporated Targets 63
  8. Targets and other postverbal arguments in Southern Balochi: A multidimensional cline 89
  9. Word order in contact and the expression of Target in Northern Domari 127
  10. The evolution of VO and OV alternation in Romeyka 141
  11. Word order in Iran-Turkic 163
  12. Word order variation in Chulym Turkic of Siberia 181
  13. Copulas and Target phrase positioning in the Arabic dialects of Kurdistan 197
  14. Word order typology in North-Eastern Neo- Aramaic 235
  15. Index of Authors 259
  16. Index of Languages 262
  17. Index of Subjects 264
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