Edward Gibson

as about maybe a little more than 40%, maybe 45% of the world's languages or more, I mean, 50% of the world's languages are verb final. Those tend to be post positions. Those markers, they have the same kinds of markers as we do in English, but they put them after. So, sorry, they put them first, the markers come first.

as about maybe a little more than 40%, maybe 45% of the world's languages or more, I mean, 50% of the world's languages are verb final. Those tend to be post positions. Those markers, they have the same kinds of markers as we do in English, but they put them after. So, sorry, they put them first, the markers come first.

So you say, instead of, you know, talk about a book, you say a book about, the opposite order there in Japanese or in Hindi, you do the opposite. And the talk comes at the end. So the verb will come at the end as well. So instead of Mary kicked the ball, it's Mary ball kicked.

So you say, instead of, you know, talk about a book, you say a book about, the opposite order there in Japanese or in Hindi, you do the opposite. And the talk comes at the end. So the verb will come at the end as well. So instead of Mary kicked the ball, it's Mary ball kicked.

So you say, instead of, you know, talk about a book, you say a book about, the opposite order there in Japanese or in Hindi, you do the opposite. And the talk comes at the end. So the verb will come at the end as well. So instead of Mary kicked the ball, it's Mary ball kicked.

And then if it says Mary kicked the ball to John, it's John to, the to, the marker there, the preposition, it's a postposition in these languages. And so the interesting thing, a fascinating thing to me is that within a language that this order aligns. It's harmonic.

And then if it says Mary kicked the ball to John, it's John to, the to, the marker there, the preposition, it's a postposition in these languages. And so the interesting thing, a fascinating thing to me is that within a language that this order aligns. It's harmonic.

And then if it says Mary kicked the ball to John, it's John to, the to, the marker there, the preposition, it's a postposition in these languages. And so the interesting thing, a fascinating thing to me is that within a language that this order aligns. It's harmonic.

And so if it's one or the other, it's either verb initial or verb final, but then you'll have prepositions, prepositions, or postpositions. And that's across the languages that we can look at. We've got around 1,000 languages. There's around 7,000 languages on the earth right now. But we have information about, say, word order on around 1,000 of those, a pretty decent amount of information.

And so if it's one or the other, it's either verb initial or verb final, but then you'll have prepositions, prepositions, or postpositions. And that's across the languages that we can look at. We've got around 1,000 languages. There's around 7,000 languages on the earth right now. But we have information about, say, word order on around 1,000 of those, a pretty decent amount of information.

And so if it's one or the other, it's either verb initial or verb final, but then you'll have prepositions, prepositions, or postpositions. And that's across the languages that we can look at. We've got around 1,000 languages. There's around 7,000 languages on the earth right now. But we have information about, say, word order on around 1,000 of those, a pretty decent amount of information.

And for those 1,000 which we know about, about 95% fit that pattern. So they will have either verb, it's about half and half, half are verb initial, like English, and half are verb final, like Japanese.

And for those 1,000 which we know about, about 95% fit that pattern. So they will have either verb, it's about half and half, half are verb initial, like English, and half are verb final, like Japanese.

And for those 1,000 which we know about, about 95% fit that pattern. So they will have either verb, it's about half and half, half are verb initial, like English, and half are verb final, like Japanese.

That's correct. Yeah, the subject is generally first.

That's correct. Yeah, the subject is generally first.

That's correct. Yeah, the subject is generally first.

Yeah, it's pretty even. And those two are the most common by far. Those two words, the subject tends to be first. There's so many interesting things, but the thing I find so fascinating is there are these generalizations within and across a language. And there's actually a simple explanation, I think, for a lot of that. And that is you're trying to minimize dependencies between words.

Yeah, it's pretty even. And those two are the most common by far. Those two words, the subject tends to be first. There's so many interesting things, but the thing I find so fascinating is there are these generalizations within and across a language. And there's actually a simple explanation, I think, for a lot of that. And that is you're trying to minimize dependencies between words.

Yeah, it's pretty even. And those two are the most common by far. Those two words, the subject tends to be first. There's so many interesting things, but the thing I find so fascinating is there are these generalizations within and across a language. And there's actually a simple explanation, I think, for a lot of that. And that is you're trying to minimize dependencies between words.