Word Order Facts
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The Pama-Nyungan languages

Language family · Australia, Papunesia

WALS includes 121 Pama-Nyungan languages in 4 branches; 120 of them are in Australia.

Basic word order: SOV in 22 of the 49 members coded, then no dominant order in 18, SVO in 6, VOS in 2.

The most solid shared trait: all 16 members coded for Front Rounded Vowels have none.

Of these, 11 have a full page on this site.

Every Pama-Nyungan 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
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 15both or other: 3after: 179% · 5% of 19
    All WALSbefore: 1192both or other: 110after: 19480% · 13% of 1,496
  • Object and verb
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 13both or other: 4after: 268% · 11% of 19
    All WALSbefore: 712both or other: 101after: 70547% · 46% of 1,518
  • Noun phrase and adposition
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 3both or other: 6after: 130% · 10% of 10
    All WALSbefore: 577both or other: 96after: 51149% · 43% of 1,184
  • Genitive and noun
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 9both or other: 6after: 156% · 6% of 16
    All WALSbefore: 685both or other: 96after: 46855% · 37% of 1,249
  • Adjective and noun
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 2both or other: 3after: 1311% · 72% of 18
    All WALSbefore: 373both or other: 115after: 87927% · 64% of 1,367
  • Demonstrative and noun
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 10both or other: 2after: 367% · 20% of 15
    All WALSbefore: 551both or other: 84after: 59045% · 48% of 1,225
  • Numeral and noun
    Pama-Nyunganbefore: 3both or other: 1after: 727% · 64% of 11
    All WALSbefore: 479both or other: 67after: 60842% · 53% of 1,154
  • Relative clause and noun
    Pama-Nyunganboth or other: 8after: 4none · 33% of 12
    All WALSbefore: 141both or other: 104after: 57917% · 70% of 824

Shared and split traits

Where the family agrees most
FeatureMost frequent valueMembers
Front Rounded VowelsNone16 of 16
ToneNo tones16 of 16
Uvular ConsonantsNo uvulars16 of 16
Glottalized ConsonantsNo glottalized consonants16 of 16
Lateral Consonants/l/, no obstruent laterals16 of 16
Comitatives and InstrumentalsDifferentiation14 of 14
Pronominal and Adnominal DemonstrativesSame forms12 of 12
Predicative AdjectivesPredicative adjectives have nonverbal encoding11 of 11
Where it is most divided
FeatureLargest groupMembers
Expression of Pronominal SubjectsOptional pronouns in subject position9 of 29
Consonant InventoriesSmall5 of 15
Ditransitive Constructions: The Verb 'Give'Indirect-object construction10 of 29
The ProhibitiveNormal imperative + normal negative7 of 19
Consonant-Vowel RatioHigh6 of 16

Members

LanguageBranchBasic orderFeatures coded
AlyawarraCentral Pama-NyunganSOV36
AnguthimriNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded21
ArabanaCentral Pama-Nyungannot coded27
Arrernte (Mparntwe)Central Pama-NyunganSOV63
BadimayaWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded21
BandjalangSoutheastern Pama-Nyungannot coded27
BiriNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded22
DiyariCentral Pama-NyunganSOV65
DjapuWestern Pama-NyunganSOV53
DjaruWestern Pama-Nyunganno dominant order31
DyirbalNorthern Pama-Nyunganno dominant order73
GumbaynggirSoutheastern Pama-Nyunganno dominant order35
Guugu YimidhirrNorthern Pama-NyunganSOV47
KalkatunguNorthern Pama-NyunganSOV42
Kugu NganhcaraNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded26
Kuku-YalanjiNorthern Pama-NyunganSOV48
Kuuk ThaayorreNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded23
MarganyNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded26
MartuthuniraWestern Pama-NyunganSVO121
MbabaramNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded20
MuruwariSoutheastern Pama-Nyungannot coded20
NgaanyatjarraWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded22
NgiyambaaSoutheastern Pama-Nyungannot coded123
PaakantyiCentral Pama-Nyungannot coded27
PanyjimaWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded25
PitjantjatjaraWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded82
Pitta PittaCentral Pama-Nyunganno dominant order33
UradhiNorthern Pama-NyunganSOV48
WarlpiriWestern Pama-Nyunganno dominant order36
WarrgamayNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded27
WatjarriWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded26
WembawembaSoutheastern Pama-NyunganVOS34
Wik MunkanNorthern Pama-Nyungannot coded29
YanyuwaWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded26
YidinyNorthern Pama-NyunganSOV100
YindjibarndiWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded28
YingkartaWestern Pama-Nyungannot coded23
YuwaalaraaySoutheastern Pama-NyunganSOV30

Not listed: 83 further Pama-Nyungan languages with fewer than 20 coded features.