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Reference.org
Verb–subject–object word order
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<p>In <a href="/facts/Linguistic_typology/B72Bumgm">linguistic typology</a>, a verb–subject–object (VSO) language has its most typical sentences arrange their elements in that order, as in <i>Ate Sam apples</i> (Sam ate apples). VSO is the third-most common <a href="/facts/Word_order/nXtB9Gm2">word order</a> among the world's languages, after <a href="/facts/Subject-object-verb/yqAybkWr">SOV</a> (as in <a href="/facts/Hindi/n1QIEeCC">Hindi</a> and <a href="/facts/Japanese_language/EEv485a5">Japanese</a>) and <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 Chinese</a>). </p><p>Language families in which all or many of their members are VSO include the following: </p> <ul><li>the <a href="/facts/Insular_Celtic_languages/GxWCv26A">Insular Celtic languages</a> (including <a href="/facts/Irish_language/Kw97s2l4">Irish</a>, <a href="/facts/Scottish_Gaelic_language/KMI4MmzJ">Scottish Gaelic</a>, <a href="/facts/Manx_language/lG7JMRr0">Manx</a>, <a href="/facts/Welsh_language/4Pz8r6yk">Welsh</a>, <a href="/facts/Cornish_language/DtPyMKHv">Cornish</a> and <a href="/facts/Breton_language/e0Rpgyvf">Breton</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Afroasiatic_languages/fzqjWd0q">Afroasiatic languages</a> (including <a href="/facts/Berber_language/DnLruKYa">Berber</a>, <a href="/facts/Assyrian_Neo-Aramaic/QcY8Smky">Assyrian</a>, <a href="/facts/Egyptian_language/mSqys6jC">Egyptian</a>, <a href="/facts/Classical_Arabic/TShrKBgR">Classical</a> and <a href="/facts/Modern_Standard_Arabic/rXAjtFSs">Modern Standard Arabic</a>, <a href="/facts/Biblical_Hebrew/yCJ3bh30">Biblical Hebrew</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ge%2527ez_language/8ks8q9Hm">Ge'ez</a>)</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Austronesian_languages/jpygNVzl">Austronesian languages</a> (including <a href="/facts/Tagalog_language/G8UARRIl">Tagalog</a>, <a href="/facts/Visayan_languages/yW1rcW8y">Visayan</a>, <a href="/facts/Pangasinan_language/jm6bFsyJ">Pangasinan</a>, <a href="/facts/Kapampangan_language/0PNrjUcS">Kapampangan</a>, <a href="/facts/Dusun_language/5KXpdw1X">Kadazan Dusun</a>, <a href="/facts/Hawaiian_language/SsQuMKm9">Hawaiian</a>, <a href="/facts/M%25C4%2581ori_language/pVhKfILB">Māori</a>, and <a href="/facts/Tongan_language/xdbQFCt4">Tongan</a>).</li> <li>the <a href="/facts/Salishan_languages/38tG7Bt1">Salishan languages</a></li> <li>many <a href="/facts/Mesoamerican_languages/GptXcAah">Mesoamerican languages</a>, such as the <a href="/facts/Mayan_languages/5J0QpcLa">Mayan languages</a> and <a href="/facts/Oto-Manguean_languages/6GfAjgxG">Oto-Manguean languages</a></li> <li>many <a href="/facts/Nilotic_languages/EcGXuWtF">Nilotic languages</a> (including <a href="/facts/Nandi%25E2%2580%2593Markweta_languages/UUpr04eR">Nandi</a> and <a href="/facts/Maasai_language/LHosesJg">Maasai</a>)</li></ul> <p>Many languages, such as Greek, have relatively <a href="/facts/Free_word_order/nXtB9Gm2">free word order</a>, where VSO is one of many possible orders. Other languages, such as Spanish and Romanian, allow rather free <a href="/facts/Inversion_(linguistics)/DqaM7FY5">subject-verb inversion</a>. However, the most basic, common, and <a href="/facts/Markedness/vofcEvg6">unmarked</a> form in these languages is SVO, so they are classified as SVO languages. </p>