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Head-directionality parameter
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<p>In <a href="/facts/Linguistics/oQuamvf2">linguistics</a>, head directionality is a proposed <a href="/facts/Principles_and_parameters/34Bhvxnu">parameter</a> that classifies languages according to whether they are head-initial (the <a href="/facts/Head_(linguistics)/aBTxhyr9">head</a> of a <a href="/facts/Phrase/mbnD0ksH">phrase</a> precedes its <a href="/facts/Complement_(linguistics)/jywrgR8C">complements</a>) or head-final (the head follows its complements). The <a href="/facts/Head_(linguistics)/aBTxhyr9">head</a> is the element that determines the category of a phrase: for example, in a <a href="/facts/Verb_phrase/nfJ5hbY8">verb phrase</a>, the head is a verb. Therefore, head initial would be <a href="/facts/Verb%25E2%2580%2593object_word_order/037pxV99">"VO" languages</a> and head final would be <a href="/facts/Object%25E2%2580%2593verb_word_order/tDEhxpW9">"OV" languages</a>. </p><p>Some languages are consistently head-initial or head-final at all phrasal levels. <a href="/facts/English_grammar/zBGLlTYH">English</a> is considered to be mainly head-initial (verbs precede their objects, for example), while <a href="/facts/Japanese_grammar/dIulTIDI">Japanese</a> is an example of a language that is consistently head-final. In certain other languages, such as <a href="/facts/German_language/oWaQIDA8">German</a> and <a href="/facts/Gbe_languages/MxIHum2x">Gbe</a>, examples of both types of head directionality occur. Various theories have been proposed to explain such variation. </p><p>Head directionality is connected with the type of <a href="/facts/Branching_(linguistics)/dYkVRqwK">branching</a> that predominates in a language: head-initial structures are <i>right-branching</i>, while head-final structures are <i>left-branching</i>. On the basis of these criteria, languages can be divided into head-final (rigid and non-rigid) and head-initial types. The identification of headedness is based on the following: </p> <ol><li>the order of subject, object, and verb</li> <li>the relationship between the order of the object and verb</li> <li>the order of an <a href="/facts/Adposition/Bhz0tAMI">adposition</a> and its <a href="/facts/Complement_(linguistics)/jywrgR8C">complement</a></li> <li>the order of <a href="/facts/Relative_clause/zFSPHLwE">relative clause</a> and head noun.</li></ol>