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Word Order Universals: Refinements and Clarifications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Lyle Campbell
Affiliation:
SUNY Albany
Vit Bubenik
Affiliation:
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Leslie Saxon
Affiliation:
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Extract

Studies of word-order universals have had great impact in modern linguistics, thanks to Greenberg’s (1963) work and to Hawkins’s (1983) refinements. Greenberg’s conclusions were based on a sample of 30 languages “for more detailed information” and 142 languages “for certain limited cooccurrences of basic word order” (Hawkins 1983:xi; cf. Greenberg 1963:74–75). Hawkins expanded the 142 “to some 350 languages”, and for “between one-third and one-half of these supplementary data have been collected of the type that Greenberg listed in his 30-language sample” (Hawkins 1983:xi-xii). Hawkins proposed extensive revisions in Greenberg’s universals based on this expanded sample.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 1988

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