Feature 19. Free variation in the verb complex

found in question(s): 48a, 48b, 48c, 49a.i, 49a.ii, 49b, 49c, 49d, 49e, 49f, 49g, 49h, 49i, 49j

Definition and illustration

Languages differ from each other with respect to word order when a clause contains several TAM-elements such as auxiliaries and modal verbs in addition to the lexical verb. It has been observed that in VO-languages, these TAM-elements usually occur in a fixed order and allow for intervening material, as in the following English example:

(1)

In OV languages there can be free variation in the ordering of these TAM-elements, i.e., word order variation without changes in information-structure. In addition, these elements usually have to occur adjacent to each other, forming a so-called verbal complex. The following examples show that in some German verb clusters, both the 132 and 321 order are acceptable:

(2)

Compatctness of the verb cluster can be illustrated in clusters where the governing verb follows the governed verb:

(3)

While clusters are most prominent in clauses containing TAM-elements and the lexical verb, they can also arise when certain main verbs selecting a non-finite clause (so-called restructuring verbs, see feature 20). In that case, the embedded clause forms a close unit with the matrix verb, which therefore also usually allows for some word order flexibility among the verbal elements. Since restricturing is more widespread in OV-languages (Haider 2010), we expect the effects of clustering (adjacency, word order flexibility) to be more pronounced in OV-languages (for an overview of verb clusters and restructuring, see Wurmbrand 2017).

This feature also tests for absolute word order universals. Previous studies showed that "213" as neutral order is extremely rare in the Germanic languages (Abels 2016, Salzmann 2019), where the numbers represent depth of embedding (3 being most embedded). Furthermore, the Final-over-Final Condition (Sheehan et. al 2017) predicts 213-orders and 2-Object-1 orders to be universally absent.

Questions 48-49 test for word order variability and adjacency requirements. Both should only be found in OV-languages but not in VO-languages. The predictions only hold for free variation, not information-structurally marked word order variation.

Correlations

Question 48 investigates word order possibilities and adjacency requirements in clauses containing TAM-elements + lexical verb. OV

• Prediction 1: V-O → only 123
• Prediction 2: V-O → 1X2X3
• Prediction 3: O-V → possibly several orders
• Prediction 4: O-V → *3X2X1
• Prediction 5: *213
• Prediction 6: *3O21

Question 49 investigates word order possibilities with different main verbs selecting a non-finite clause (both potentially restructuring and non-restructuring verbs).

• Prediction 1: V-O → only 12 (irrespective of the matrix predicate)
• Prediction 2: O-V → 12 and 21 (with restructuring verbs like 'try' only)

References