Expression of Pronominal Subjects
Simple clauses · one world map for each value
WALS codes 711 languages for this feature. The most frequent value, “Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs”, covers 437 of them (61%); 2 values tie for least frequent, with 32 languages each.
That value is most frequent in South America (78% of the 60 languages coded there) and least frequent in Australia (43% of 53).
Among families with at least eight coded languages, Eastern Sudanic is the most uniform: 20 of 21 have “Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs”.
Pama-Nyungan is the most divided, its largest group reaching only 9 of 29.
Obligatory pronouns in subject position82 languages · 12%
Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs437 languages · 61%
Pronominal subjects are expressed by clitics with variable host32 languages · 5%
Subject pronouns in different position67 languages · 9%
Optional pronouns in subject position61 languages · 9%
More than one of the above types with none dominant32 languages · 5%
One map per value; each dot is a language WALS codes with that value.
By macro-area
| Value | Africa | Eurasia | Papunesia | Australia | North America | South America |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obligatory pronouns in subject position | 27 | 23 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 130 | 75 | 90 | 23 | 72 | 47 |
| Pronominal subjects are expressed by clitics with variable host | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 2 |
| Subject pronouns in different position | 29 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Optional pronouns in subject position | 5 | 29 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| More than one of the above types with none dominant | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| All values | 200 | 141 | 154 | 53 | 103 | 60 |
Inside the largest families
| Family | Coded | Most frequent value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niger-Congo | 106 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 68% |
| Austronesian | 79 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 38% |
| Afro-Asiatic | 45 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 56% |
| Indo-European | 41 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 59% |
| Trans-New Guinea | 33 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 94% |
| Sino-Tibetan | 32 | Optional pronouns in subject position | 44% |
| Pama-Nyungan | 29 | Optional pronouns in subject position | 31% |
| Eastern Sudanic | 21 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 95% |
| Uto-Aztecan | 15 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 40% |
| Uralic | 13 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 92% |
| Altaic | 12 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 67% |
| Central Sudanic | 12 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 83% |
| Austro-Asiatic | 11 | Optional pronouns in subject position | 55% |
| Arawakan | 9 | Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs | 89% |
Languages to explore
The most fully coded languages with each value.
- Obligatory pronouns in subject position: English, French, Russian, Indonesian, German, Evenki
- Pronominal subjects are expressed by affixes on verbs: Spanish, Turkish, Hungarian, Basque, Greek (Modern), Abkhaz
- Pronominal subjects are expressed by clitics with variable host: Ngiyambaa, Yagua, Cree (Plains), Mundari, Comanche, Passamaquoddy-Maliseet
- Subject pronouns in different position: Georgian, Hausa, Fijian, Wari', Kutenai, Grebo
- Optional pronouns in subject position: Mandarin, Japanese, Lezgian, Korean, Khalkha, Maori
- More than one of the above types with none dominant: Finnish, Hebrew (Modern), Yaqui, Krongo, Jakaltek, Mixtec (Chalcatongo)