A word order typology of adnominal person

Bibliographic Data

ID21714489
AuthorsGeorg F K Höhn (0000-0002-0495-558X, Georg-August-University Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume29
Issue1
Pages35-80
Publication date2025-05-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLinguistic Typology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1430-0532 • E-ISSN: 1613-415X
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/lingty-2023-0080
PMID40718856
OpenAlexW4403982228
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited74

This paper investigates cross-linguistic variation in the expression of adnominal person ( pers n ; cf. English “we linguists”) based on a survey of 114 languages, focusing on word order. Two subtypes are distinguished according to whether pers n is expressed by an independent pronoun as in English or by a morphologically dependent marker. Prenominal adnominal pronouns are the most common type of pers n marking overall, while the morphologically dependent markers are predominantly postnominal (or phrase-final). The order of pers n marking relative to its accompanying noun is shown to interact with head-directionality (VO/OV-order, position of dependent genitives, adpositions) and with the position of demonstrative modifiers (prenominal/postnominal) using generalised linear mixed-effects models. Theoretical implications and possible explanations for deviations are discussed concerning variation in the encoding of pers n as head or phrasal modifier and its (lack of) co-categoriality with demonstratives

Economics · Grammaticalization · Linguistic typology · Linguistics · Typology · Word order · History · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistics and language evolution · Philosophy · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

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