Which word-order pair is the most common in world's languages?
Show Hint
- SVO–SOV
- SOV–VSO
- VSO–VOS
- SOV–VOS
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Universal word orders.
In typology (Greenberg, Comrie, Dryer), six possible word orders exist: SVO, SOV, VSO, VOS, OVS, OSV. Among these, SVO and SOV dominate globally.
Step 2: Distribution.
- SOV (Subject–Object–Verb): found in Hindi, Japanese, Turkish. Estimated to cover \(\sim 45%\) of world's languages.
- SVO (Subject–Verb–Object): found in English, Mandarin, Swahili. Estimated to cover \(\sim 42%\) of world's languages.
Together, these two account for nearly 85–90% of world languages.
Step 3: Rule out other pairs.
- SOV–VSO: VSO is less common (e.g., Arabic, Celtic).
- VSO–VOS, SOV–VOS: both far rarer combinations.
\[
\boxed{\text{Correct Answer: (A) SVO–SOV}}
\]
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