Object–subject–verb

In linguistic typology, object–subject–verb (OSV) or object–agent–verb (OAV) is a classification of languages, based on whether the structure predominates in pragmatically-neutral expressions. An example of this would be "Oranges Sam ate."

Unmarked word order

Natural languages

OSV is rarely used in unmarked sentences, those using a normal word order without emphasis. Most languages that use OSV as their default word order come from the Amazon basin, such as Xavante, Jamamadi, Apurinã, Kayabí and Nadëb.[3] An exception to this is Mizo and its sister languages, of Kuki-Chin-Mizo languages in the Tibeto-Burman family of languages. Here is an example from Apurinã:[3]

anana	nota	apa
pineapple	I	fetch
I fetch a pineapple

British Sign Language (BSL) normally uses topic–comment structure, but its default word order when topic–comment structure is not used is OSV.

Marked word order

Various languages allow OSV word order but only in marked sentences, those that emphasise part or all of the sentence.

Arabic

Arabic also allows OSV in marked sentences:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينَ.‎
Iyyāka naʿbudu wa-iyyāka nastaʿīn
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.

Chinese

Passive constructions in Chinese follow an OSV (OAV) pattern through the use of the particle 被:

这个	橘子	被	我	吃	掉	了
this	orange	by	SUBJ 1SG	eat		PERF
The orange experienced me eating it.

English and German

In English and German, OSV appears primarily in relative clauses if the relative pronoun is the (direct or indirect) object: "What I do is my own business."

In English, OSV appears in the future tense or as a contrast with the conjunction but.

Note: The inclusion of the word "But" may be optional.

Hebrew

In Modern Hebrew, OSV is often used instead of the normal SVO to emphasise the object: while אני אוהב אותה would mean "I love her", "אותה אני אוהב" would mean "It is she whom I love".[4] Possibly an influence of Germanic (via Yiddish), as Jewish English uses a similar construction ("You, I like, kid")—see above —much more than many other varieties of English, and often with the "but" left implicit.

Hungarian

In Hungarian, OSV emphasises the subject:

A szócikket én szerkesztettem = The article/I/edited (It was I, not somebody else, who edited the article).

Korean and Japanese

Korean and Japanese have SOV by default, but since they are topic-prominent languages they often seem as if they were OSV when the object is topicalized.

Sentence	그 사과는 제가 먹었어요.
Words	그	사과	는	제	가	먹	었	어	요
Romanization	geu	sagwa	neun	je	ga	meok	eoss	eo	yo.
Gloss	the/that	apple	(topic marker)	I (polite)	(sub. marker)	eat	(past)	(declarative)	(polite)
Parts	Object			Subject		Verb
Translation	It is I who ate that apple. (or) As for the apple, I ate it. (or) The apple was eaten by me.

An almost identical syntax is possible in Japanese:

Sentence	そのりんごは私が食べました。
Words	その	りんご	は	私	が	食べ	まし	た。
Romanization	sono	ringo	wa	watashi	ga	tabe	mashi	ta.
Gloss	the/that	apple	(topic marker)	I (polite)	(sub. marker)	eat	(polite)	(past/perfect)
Parts	Object			Subject		Verb
Translation	It is I who ate that apple.

Malayalam

OSV is one of two permissible word orders in Malayalam, the other being SOV

Nahuatl

OSV emphasises the object in Nahuatl.[5]

Cah	cihuah	in	niquintlazohtla
(indicative marker)	women	(topicalization marker)	I-them-love
women I love them
It is the women whom I love.

Portuguese

OSV is possible in Brazilian Portuguese to emphasize the object.


Sentence	De maçã eu não gosto
Word	De maçã	eu	não gosto
Gloss	(of) apple	I	Do not like
Parts	Object	Subject	Verb
Translation	I do not like apple

Turkish

OSV is used in Turkish to emphasise the subject:

Yemeği ben pişirdim = The meal/I/cooked (It was I, not somebody else, who cooked the meal).

References

Meyer, Charles F. (2010). Introducing English Linguistics International (Student ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Tomlin, Russell S. (1986). Basic Word Order: Functional Principles. London: Croom Helm. p. 22. ISBN 9780709924999. OCLC 13423631.
O'Grady, W. et al Contemporary Linguistics (3rd edition, 1996) ISBN 0-582-24691-1
Friedmann, Naama; Shapiro, Lewis (April 2003). "Agrammatic comprehension of simple active sentence with moved constituents: Hebrew OSV and OVS structures". Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 46 (2): 288–97. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2003/023). PMC 3392331. PMID 14700372.
Introduction to Classical Nahuatl

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[Meyer_2010-1] Meyer, Charles F. (2010). Introducing English Linguistics International (Student ed.). Cambridge University Press.

[Tomlin_1986-2] Tomlin, Russell S. (1986). Basic Word Order: Functional Principles. London: Croom Helm. p. 22. ISBN 9780709924999. OCLC 13423631.

[CL-3] O'Grady, W. et al Contemporary Linguistics (3rd edition, 1996) ISBN 0-582-24691-1

[4] Friedmann, Naama; Shapiro, Lewis (April 2003). "Agrammatic comprehension of simple active sentence with moved constituents: Hebrew OSV and OVS structures". Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 46 (2): 288–97. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2003/023). PMC 3392331. PMID 14700372.

[5] Introduction to Classical Nahuatl