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Verb–object–subject word order
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<p>In <a href="/facts/Linguistic_typology/B72Bumgm">linguistic typology</a>, a <a href="/facts/Verb/zp42buvn">verb</a>–<a href="/facts/Object_(grammar)/wybTVzna">object</a>–<a href="/facts/Subject_(grammar)/h5M1cQJ2">subject</a> or verb–object–<a href="/facts/Agent_(grammar)/EyraFmNd">agent</a> language, which is commonly abbreviated VOS or VOA, is one in which most sentences arrange their elements in that order. That would be the equivalent in <a href="/facts/English_language/tpkxGt7b">English</a> to "Ate apples Sam." The relatively rare default word order accounts for only 3% of the world's languages. It is the fourth-most common default <a href="/facts/Word_order/nXtB9Gm2">word order</a> among the world's languages out of the six. It is a more common default permutation than <a href="/facts/Object%25E2%2580%2593verb%25E2%2580%2593subject/5e5wXJ3D">OVS</a> and <a href="/facts/Object%25E2%2580%2593subject%25E2%2580%2593verb/51oGjDl6">OSV</a> but is significantly rarer than <a href="/facts/Subject%25E2%2580%2593object%25E2%2580%2593verb/yqAybkWr">SOV</a> (as in <a href="/facts/Hindi/n1QIEeCC">Hindi</a> and <a href="/facts/Japanese_language/EEv485a5">Japanese</a>), <a href="/facts/Subject%25E2%2580%2593verb%25E2%2580%2593object/N0DS8deK">SVO</a> (as in <a href="/facts/English_language/tpkxGt7b">English</a> and <a href="/facts/Mandarin_Chinese/yxvDg67C">Mandarin</a>), and <a href="/facts/Verb%25E2%2580%2593subject%25E2%2580%2593object/uYtjUPIh">VSO</a> (as in <a href="/facts/Filipino_language/sFspmMjH">Filipino</a> and <a href="/facts/Irish_language/Kw97s2l4">Irish</a>). Families in which all or many of their languages are VOS include the following: </p> <ul><li>the <a href="/facts/Algonquian_languages/q1d12Dh2">Algonquian</a> family (including <a href="/facts/Ojibwe_language/VRcmuBLS">Ojibwa</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Arawakan_languages/ffGtyPSK">Arawakan</a> family (including <a href="/facts/Baure_language/axXfnBYx">Baure</a> and <a href="/facts/Ter%25C3%25AAna_language/wyLu1uzb">Terêna</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Austronesian_languages/jpygNVzl">Austronesian</a> family (including <a href="/facts/Dusun_language/5KXpdw1X">Dusun</a>, <a href="/facts/Malagasy_language/KefIavD1">Malagasy</a>, <a href="/facts/Toba_Batak_language/o4rkcQ3z">Toba Batak</a>, <a href="/facts/Tukang_Besi_language/chhMTtd3">Tukang Besi</a>, <a href="/facts/Palauan_language/wTEQGtGw">Palauan</a>, <a href="/facts/Gilbertese_language/9cqrKSr7">Gilbertese</a>, <a href="/facts/Fijian_language/tGrTQF6R">Fijian</a> and <a href="/facts/Tsou_language/LmcT0W7I">Tsou</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Chumashan_languages/NH3bEYkd">Chumash</a> family (including Inoseño Chumash)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Mayan_languages/5J0QpcLa">Mayan</a> family (including <a href="/facts/Huastec_language/TNJK6hGF">Huastec</a>, <a href="/facts/Yucatec_Maya_language/3t4npwql">Yucatec</a>, <a href="/facts/Mopan_language/3LV1WJAF">Mopán</a>, <a href="/facts/Lacandon_language/skdl0RGy">Lacondón</a>, <a href="/facts/Ch%25CA%25BCol_language/VSVaHYBE">Chol</a>, <a href="/facts/Tzeltal_language/Fh6qrxJY">Tzeltal</a>, <a href="/facts/Tzotzil_language/2ACBpJ8n">Tzotzil</a>, <a href="/facts/Chuj_language/JNSrSz49">Chuj</a>, <a href="/facts/Tojolab%25CA%25BCal_language/dgARoqkE">Tojolabal</a>, <a href="/facts/Kaqchikel_language/NSywqjnP">Cakchiquel</a>, <a href="/facts/Tz%25CA%25BCutujil_language/tJMFkTvp">Tzutujil</a>, <a href="/facts/Sakapultek_language/NXHGlI2W">Sacapultec</a>, <a href="/facts/Poqomam_language/rq9jy20L">Pocomam</a>, <a href="/facts/Pocomchi_language/U8VXFRTc">Pocomchí</a> and <a href="/facts/Q%25CA%25BCeqchi%25CA%25BC_language/fe1GrxMv">Kekchi</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Oto-Manguean_languages/6GfAjgxG">Otomanguean</a> family (including <a href="/facts/Northwestern_Otomi/kFm5JrRK">Mezquital Otomi</a> and <a href="/facts/Sierra_Otomi/MKlI9gTT">Highland Otomi</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Salishan_languages/38tG7Bt1">Salishan</a> family (including <a href="/facts/Coeur_d%2527Alene_language/A7mNBMeo">Coeur d'Alene</a> and <a href="/facts/Twana_language/yMGjNBme">Twana</a>)</li></ul>