Word Order Facts
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The Eastern Sudanic languages

Language family · Africa

WALS includes 47 Eastern Sudanic languages in 13 branches; all of them are in Africa.

Basic word order: VSO in 13 of the 36 members coded, then SVO in 12, SOV in 6, no dominant order in 4.

The most solid shared trait: all 30 members coded for Order of Numeral and Noun have numeral follows noun (NNum).

Of these, 10 have a full page on this site.

Every Eastern Sudanic 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
    Eastern Sudanicbefore: 7after: 654% · 46% of 13
    All WALSbefore: 1192both or other: 110after: 19480% · 13% of 1,496
  • Object and verb
    Eastern Sudanicbefore: 3both or other: 1after: 923% · 69% of 13
    All WALSbefore: 712both or other: 101after: 70547% · 46% of 1,518
  • Noun phrase and adposition
    Eastern Sudanicbefore: 2both or other: 2after: 915% · 69% of 13
    All WALSbefore: 577both or other: 96after: 51149% · 43% of 1,184
  • Genitive and noun
    Eastern Sudanicbefore: 2both or other: 1after: 1015% · 77% of 13
    All WALSbefore: 685both or other: 96after: 46855% · 37% of 1,249
  • Adjective and noun
    Eastern Sudanicafter: 13none · 100% of 13
    All WALSbefore: 373both or other: 115after: 87927% · 64% of 1,367
  • Demonstrative and noun
    Eastern Sudanicbefore: 3after: 925% · 75% of 12
    All WALSbefore: 551both or other: 84after: 59045% · 48% of 1,225
  • Numeral and noun
    Eastern Sudanicafter: 12none · 100% of 12
    All WALSbefore: 479both or other: 67after: 60842% · 53% of 1,154
  • Relative clause and noun
    Eastern Sudanicafter: 13none · 100% of 13
    All WALSbefore: 141both or other: 104after: 57917% · 70% of 824

Shared and split traits

Where the family agrees most
FeatureMost frequent valueMembers
Order of Numeral and NounNumeral follows noun (NNum)30 of 30
Order of Relative Clause and NounRelative clause follows noun (NRel)29 of 29
Front Rounded VowelsNone16 of 16
Lateral Consonants/l/, no obstruent laterals16 of 16
Nominal and Locational PredicationDifferent13 of 13
Relativization on SubjectsGap10 of 10
Gender Distinctions in Independent Personal PronounsNo gender distinctions9 of 9
Order of Adjective and NounModifying adjective follows noun (NAdj)37 of 38
Where it is most divided
FeatureLargest groupMembers
Prefixing vs. Suffixing in Inflectional MorphologyPredominantly suffixing9 of 32
Position of Tense-Aspect AffixesTense-aspect suffixes10 of 30
Order of Subject, Object and VerbVerb-subject-object (VSO)13 of 36
Definite ArticlesDefinite affix on noun8 of 20
Consonant InventoriesAverage7 of 16

Members

LanguageBranchBasic orderFeatures coded
AcholiWestern Niloticnot coded25
AnywaWestern Niloticnot coded26
BariEastern NiloticSVO38
ChaiSouth Surmicnot coded20
DidingaSouth Surmicnot coded26
DinkaWestern Niloticno dominant order41
IkKuliakVSO49
IngessanaEastern Jebelnot coded28
KarimojongEastern Niloticnot coded28
LangoWestern NiloticSVO126
LuoWestern NiloticSVO53
MaasaiEastern NiloticVSO59
MajangMajangnot coded21
Me'enSouth Surmicnot coded22
MurleSouth SurmicVSO83
NandiEastern NiloticVSO61
Nara (in Ethiopia)NaraSOV44
Nubian (Dongolese)NubianSOV86
NuerWestern Niloticnot coded25
NyimangNyimangnot coded27
PokotSouthern Niloticnot coded20
PäriWestern NiloticOVS31
SebeiSouthern Niloticnot coded23
ShillukWestern Niloticnot coded26
SoKuliakVSO43
TamaTamannot coded25
TemeinTemeinnot coded25
TennetSouth Surmicnot coded24
TesoEastern Niloticnot coded24
TurkanaEastern NiloticVSO50

Not listed: 17 further Eastern Sudanic languages with fewer than 20 coded features.