OSV as the basic order in Warao

Bibliographic Data

ID3987471
AuthorsAndrés Romero-Figueroa (0000-0002-9788-170X, corresponding author)
Year1985
Volume66
Issue2-3
Pages115-134
Publication date1985-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLingua (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0024-3841 • E-ISSN: 1872-6135
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/s0024-3841(85)90281-5
OpenAlexW2014022800
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited2

Warao sentences as well as noun phrases are typologically examined. Based on data gathered in northeastern Venezuela in summer 1981, the author claims that Warao is an OSV language. This syntactic order is found in major sentence types such as transitive, transitive plus indirect object, transitive plus oblique object, reflextive, quotative, etc. The author also discusses the ‘exclusively SOV order’ exhibited by stative sentences in the language. Further, variation from the OSV order, either of syntactic or stylistic nature, is reviewed. The author points out that SUBJECT FRONTING is a major device for questioning and highlighting in Warao; therefore, SOV order in sentences other than statives are considered ‘marked’. Evidence in support of the author's claim about the markedness of SOV order (in sentences other than statives) is presented. Also, the phenomenon of ‘staging’ ( Grimes (1975) ) associated with ‘focusing’, which is very common in the language, is explained and exemplified. Evidence in favor of OSV order and against SOV order (Osborn (1962)) is offered. This is a particularly important issue from a typological perspective because in recent classifications of world languages Warao appears erroneously listed as an SOV language given Osborn's data. Finally, observations about the order of adjective and noun within the noun phrase, genitive noun and head noun in possessive phrases and relative position of topic and standard of comparison in comparative constructions are made. In summary, Warao brings support to Derbyshire's (1977) claim on the basis of Hixkaryana that Greenberg's Universal 1 (object initial linearization in basic order is not permitted) must be abandoned

Adjective · Dative case · Determiner phrase · Epistemology · Genitive case · Linguistics · Markedness · Noun · Noun phrase · Object (grammar · Order (exchange · Phenomenon · Sentence · Subject (documents · Transitive relation · Word order · Computer Science · History · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Mathematics · Philosophy · Spanish Linguistics and Language Studies · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

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