Word Order

Typological arrangement of subject, object, and verb in sentences, a key axis of cross-linguistic variation.

Core Principles & Analysis

• SOV order, used by Japanese and Turkish, is the world's most common pattern.
• Joseph Greenberg's 1963 universals linked word order to other grammatical traits.
• Object-initial orders are rarest, attested in Amazonian languages such as Hixkaryana.