Word Order Facts
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The Arawakan languages

Language family · South America, North America

WALS includes 29 Arawakan languages in 11 branches; 28 of them are in South America.

Basic word order: SVO in 8 of the 15 members coded, then SOV in 3, VSO in 2, VOS in 1.

The most solid shared trait: all 16 members coded for Finger and Hand have different.

Of these, 4 have a full page on this site.

Every Arawakan language in WALS, placed at the point the atlas gives for it.

Word order against the world

Members with at least 30 coded features, compared with every language WALS codes for each pairing.

dependent before the headboth or otherafter the head

  • Subject and verb
    Arawakanbefore: 4both or other: 3after: 244% · 22% of 9
    All WALSbefore: 1192both or other: 110after: 19480% · 13% of 1,496
  • Object and verb
    Arawakanbefore: 1both or other: 1after: 711% · 78% of 9
    All WALSbefore: 712both or other: 101after: 70547% · 46% of 1,518
  • Noun phrase and adposition
    Arawakanbefore: 4both or other: 1after: 444% · 44% of 9
    All WALSbefore: 577both or other: 96after: 51149% · 43% of 1,184
  • Genitive and noun
    Arawakanbefore: 6after: 367% · 33% of 9
    All WALSbefore: 685both or other: 96after: 46855% · 37% of 1,249
  • Adjective and noun
    Arawakanbefore: 2after: 722% · 78% of 9
    All WALSbefore: 373both or other: 115after: 87927% · 64% of 1,367
  • Demonstrative and noun
    Arawakanbefore: 6after: 275% · 25% of 8
    All WALSbefore: 551both or other: 84after: 59045% · 48% of 1,225
  • Numeral and noun
    Arawakanbefore: 8100% · none of 8
    All WALSbefore: 479both or other: 67after: 60842% · 53% of 1,154
  • Relative clause and noun
    Arawakanboth or other: 2after: 3none · 60% of 5
    All WALSbefore: 141both or other: 104after: 57917% · 70% of 824

Shared and split traits

Where the family agrees most
FeatureMost frequent valueMembers
Finger and HandDifferent16 of 16
Coding of Nominal PluralityPlural suffix15 of 15
Position of Pronominal Possessive AffixesPossessive prefixes15 of 15
Position of Tense-Aspect AffixesTense-aspect suffixes15 of 15
Order of Numeral and NounNumeral precedes noun (NumN)13 of 13
Front Rounded VowelsNone8 of 8
Absence of Common ConsonantsAll present8 of 8
Presence of Uncommon ConsonantsNone8 of 8
Where it is most divided
FeatureLargest groupMembers
Coding of EvidentialityNo grammatical evidentials5 of 14
Consonant InventoriesModerately small3 of 8
Definite ArticlesDefinite word distinct from demonstrative4 of 9
Order of Subject and VerbSubject precedes verb (SV)8 of 17
Prefixing vs. Suffixing in Inflectional MorphologyApproximately equal amounts of suffixing and prefixing7 of 14

Members

LanguageBranchBasic orderFeatures coded
AchaguaJapura-Colombianot coded22
AmueshaYanesha'not coded29
ApurinãPurusSVO115
BaréJapura-ColombiaSVO38
Campa (Axininca)Pre-Andine Arawakanno dominant order59
GarífunaAntillean ArawakanVSO30
GoajiroGuajiro-ParaujanoVSO43
IgnacianoBolivia-Parananot coded25
LokonoAntillean ArawakanSVO42
PalikurPalikurSVO31
PiroPurusnot coded29
ResígaroJapura-ColombiaSOV43
TarianaJapura-Colombianot coded29
WarekenaAlto-OrinocoSVO38
YucunaJapura-Colombianot coded29

Not listed: 14 further Arawakan languages with fewer than 20 coded features.