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V2 word order
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Verb-second (V2) word order, in syntax, is the rule in some languages that the second constituent of declarative main clauses is always a verb, while this is not necessarily the case in other types of clauses.
V2 effect is clearly demonstrated in the following Dutch sentences:
It may seem that the verb is in the third position in the last sentence, but it is the second constituent; the first constituent is "dit boek" (this book) (note how the following is ungrammatical: *"Dit las boek ik gisteren").
Note the contrast with the following embedded clauses:
Similar examples can be given for German.
The usual analysis of the Dutch (and German) V2 phenomenon is that the "normal" position of the verb is at the end of the clause (SOV) and that in main clauses, the inflected verb moves to the second position.
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Encyclopedia
Verb-second (V2) word order, in syntax, is the rule in some languages that the second constituent of declarative main clauses is always a verb, while this is not necessarily the case in other types of clauses.
V2 effect
The V2 effect is clearly demonstrated in the following Dutch sentences:
It may seem that the verb is in the third position in the last sentence, but it is the second constituent; the first constituent is "dit boek" (this book) (note how the following is ungrammatical: *"Dit las boek ik gisteren").
Note the contrast with the following embedded clauses:
Similar examples can be given for German.
The usual analysis of the Dutch (and German) V2 phenomenon is that the "normal" position of the verb is at the end of the clause (SOV) and that in main clauses, the inflected verb moves to the second position. This is supported by the fact that in sentences with verb clusters, only the auxiliary appears in the second position:
In German these phrases have different word order for the auxiliaries, that closely resemble the SOV word order (auxiliaries following the main verb). Presented below for contrast with the Dutch above.
Note that the last example would normally be perceived as too awkward and be replaced with the straightforward "Ich wollte dieses Buch lesen können", unless the speaker wants to emphasize tense.
Classification
V2 word order is primarily associated with Germanic languages, English being a notable exception. (French, a Romance language, had a V2 stage, and Kashmiri and some Rhaeto-Romance languages currently do.) Other verbs are placed in the position dictated by the prevailing word order of the language: in otherwise SVO languages, such as Swedish and Icelandic, the verb is placed after the subject but before the object; in otherwise SOV languages, such as German and Dutch, the verb is placed after the object.
In addition, there are two prime distinctions of V2 languages. The CP-V2 languages such as Swedish and German only allow the movement in main clauses. On the other hand, the IP-V2 languages such as Icelandic and Yiddish require movement in subclauses too. Kashmiri constitutes a third, intermediate type in which there is "movement" in main clauses and sentential-object clauses but not in relative clauses. The CP and IP refer to a particular theory of grammar in which there is a position known as the complementiser, to which the verb moves in CP-V2 languages. Finding it already occupied by the complementiser pronoun 'that' in subclauses, movement is prohibited. On the other hand, in IP languages, a position known as I is found directly after the C position, which is never occupied (except after V2 movement) and thus movement is allowed in subclauses. Although this theory is explained with reference to a particular theory, the difference between Swedish and German grammar on the one hand and Icelandic and Yiddish grammar on the other is real, and the terms 'CP-V2' and 'IP-V2' are used even by those who do not subscribe to the theory.
An earlier stage of English was V2, and some vestiges of its former structure have remained in fixed phrases such as 'so am I', adverbial time phrases such as 'not once has he bothered to phone', and productive structures like 'I didn't go and neither did he', with the verb before the subject ('I' and 'he', respectively). It has been argued that , and it is easy to see how such an order can with little change develop into a simple SVO language as is Modern English today.
Examples
CP-V2, SOV
German, and Dutch examples, Dutch being the first example given.
- I READ THIS BOOK YESTERDAY.
Ik las dit boek gisteren.
Ich las dieses Buch gestern.
- YESTERDAY READ I THIS BOOK.
Gisteren las ik dit boek.
Gestern las ich dieses Buch.
- I SAID THAT I THIS BOOK YESTERDAY READ.
Ik zei dat ik dit boek gisteren las.
Ich sagte, dass ich dieses Buch gestern las.
- I SAID THAT I YESTERDAY THIS BOOK READ.
Ik zei dat ik gisteren dit boek las.
Ich sagte, dass ich gestern dieses Buch las.
CP-V2, SVO
ex. Swedish*
- I READ THAT HERE THE BOOK YESTERDAY.
Jag läste den här boken igår.
- YESTERDAY READ I THAT HERE THE BOOK.
Igår läste jag den här boken.
- I SAID THAT I READ THAT HERE THE BOOK YESTERDAY.
Jag sade att jag läste den här boken igår.
- I SAID CERTAINLY THAT I READ THAT HERE THE BOOK YESTERDAY.
Jag sade ju att jag läste den här boken igår.
*Note that Swedish use determinative pronouns and adjectives differently than West Germanic languages. Unlike in West Germanic, words directly corresponding to this/these and that/those are generally not used, with the preferred way using fixed phrases, with positional adjectives markers, lit. approximation "den/det här"("the(sing.) here")=this, "den/det där"("the(sing.) there")=that", de här("the(plur.) here")=these, de där("the(plur.) there")=those. There are words formally used for "this", denna/denne/detta and "these" dessa, but there are no direct words corresponding to "that" or "those". Note also that even though "this(den/det här)/these(de här)/that(den/det där)/those(de där)" may be used, the noun is still inflected into definite form:
Example:
"I READ THAT HERE THE BOOK.=
Jag läser den här boken." is correct, and
"I READ THAT HERE BOOK.=
"Jag läser den här bok." is incorrect.
However, this does not apply to the more formal "Denna/detta/dessa". When using them it is perfectly correct not to inflect the noun to definite form.
Example:
"I SEE THIS HOUSE.=
Jag ser detta hus. is correct, and
"I SEE THIS THE HOUSE.=
Jag ser detta huset. is also correct, although unnecessary and well, frankly, it will sound more Norwegian than Swedish.
IP-V2, SVO
ex. Icelandic, Yiddish, examples in Yiddish:
Ikh leyen dos bukh haynt.
Haynt leyen ikh dos bukh.
- YOU KNOW THAT I READ THE BOOK TODAY.
Du veyst, az ikh leyen dos bukh haynt.
- YOU KNOW THAT TODAY READ I THE BOOK.
Du veyst, az haynt leyen ikh dos bukh.
IP/CP-V2, SOV
ex. Kashmiri
mye per yi kyitaab az.
az per mye yi kyitaab.
- I said that I read this book today.
mye von zyi mye per yi kyitaab az.
- I said that today read I this book.
mye von zyi az per mye yi kyitaab.
- This is the book which I today read.
yi chi swa kyitaab ywas mye az per.
- This is the book which I said that I read today.
yi chi swa kyitaab ywas mye veny zyi mye per az.
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