Question

Which word-order pair is the most common in world's languages?

• A. SVO–SOV
• B. SOV–VSO
• C. VSO–VOS
• D. SOV–VOS

Hint:

In linguistic typology: SVO + SOV = global majority. If asked about the most frequent pair, always pick them together.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

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. \[ \boxed{\text{Correct Answer: (A) SVO–SOV}} \]