Word Order Facts
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Archi

Nakh-Daghestanian family · Lezgic branch · Eurasia

Archi is an SOV language, like 564 of the 1,376 languages WALS codes for basic word order.

Scored by how often each of its values recurs in the atlas, Archi has the sixth least common profile of the 409 languages compared on this measure.

On Predicative Adjectives, all 5 other Nakh-Daghestanian languages coded have the value “Predicative adjectives have nonverbal encoding”; Archi has “Predicative adjectives have mixed encoding”.

Of the 7 Nakh-Daghestanian languages profiled here, Archi follows the family’s usual values most closely.

Archi: order of head and dependent in 7 constructions← beforeafter →verbsubject80%13%Order of Subject and Verb: Subject precedes verb (SV). Of 1,496 languages coded, 1,192 put the subject before the verb and 194 after it.verbobject47%46%Order of Object and Verb: Object precedes verb (OV). Of 1,518 languages coded, 712 put the object before the verb and 705 after it.adpositionnoun phrase49%43%Order of Adposition and Noun Phrase: Postpositions. Of 1,184 languages coded, 577 put the noun phrase before the adposition and 511 after it.noungenitive55%37%Order of Genitive and Noun: Genitive-noun (GenN). Of 1,249 languages coded, 685 put the genitive before the noun and 468 after it.nounadjective27%64%Order of Adjective and Noun: Modifying adjective precedes noun (AdjN). Of 1,367 languages coded, 373 put the adjective before the noun and 879 after it.noundemonstrative45%48%Order of Demonstrative and Noun: Demonstrative word precedes noun (DemN). Of 1,225 languages coded, 551 put the demonstrative before the noun and 590 after it.nounnumeral42%53%Order of Numeral and Noun: Numeral precedes noun (NumN). Of 1,154 languages coded, 479 put the numeral before the noun and 608 after it.
The order Archi uses in 7 pairings of a head word and its dependent. Bars: how all languages coded for each pairing split, before or after.

Contrast Archi with Avar or with any other language

Uncommon values

Values that fewer than one in ten of the coded languages share with Archi, rarest first.

Inside the Nakh-Daghestanian family

Archi matches the most frequent Nakh-Daghestanian value on 44 of the 53 features where at least three other members of the family are coded (83%).

Where Archi breaks with a clear majority of its relatives
FeatureArchiMost relatives
Definite ArticlesDemonstrative word used as marker of definitenessNeither definite nor indefinite article (4 of 5)

Closest profiles

Languages that share the most coded values with Archi; the count is out of the features both languages are coded for.

The rest of the profile

WALS codes Archi for 55 of the 144 profile features used on this site. The remaining 44 are listed here, grouped by topic; within each group the value Archi shares with the fewest languages comes first.

Sounds 13

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Consonant InventoriesLarge57 of 563
Glottalized ConsonantsEjectives only58 of 567
Consonant-Vowel RatioHigh69 of 564
Voicing in Plosives and FricativesVoicing contrast in both plosives and fricatives158 of 567
Rhythm TypesAbsent: no rhythmic stress98 of 323
Syllable StructureComplex syllable structure151 of 486
Voicing and Gaps in Plosive SystemsOther242 of 567
Fixed Stress LocationsNo fixed stress (mostly weight-sensitive stress)220 of 502
The Velar NasalNo velar nasal235 of 469
Vowel Quality InventoriesAverage vowel inventory (5-6)287 of 564
ToneNo tones307 of 527
Absence of Common ConsonantsAll present503 of 567
Front Rounded VowelsNone525 of 562

Word structure 1

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Prefixing vs. Suffixing in Inflectional MorphologyPredominantly suffixing406 of 969

Nouns and pronouns 6

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Systems of Gender AssignmentSemantic assignment53 of 257
Indefinite ArticlesNumeral for 'one' is used as indefinite article112 of 534
Position of Pronominal Possessive AffixesNo possessive affixes260 of 902
Sex-based and Non-sex-based Gender SystemsSex-based gender system84 of 257
Position of Case AffixesCase suffixes452 of 1,031
Coding of Nominal PluralityPlural suffix513 of 1,066

Noun phrases 2

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Action Nominal ConstructionsSentential25 of 168
Noun Phrase ConjunctionAND-languages: 'and' and 'with' are not identical131 of 234

Verbs: tense, mood, evidence 4

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
The OptativeInflectional optative present48 of 319
Coding of EvidentialityVerbal affix or clitic131 of 418
Semantic Distinctions of EvidentialityOnly indirect evidentials166 of 418
Position of Tense-Aspect AffixesTense-aspect suffixes667 of 1,131

Word order 9

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Order of Adjective and NounModifying adjective precedes noun (AdjN)373 of 1,367
Position of Polar Question ParticlesNo question particle355 of 884
Order of Numeral and NounNumeral precedes noun (NumN)479 of 1,154
Order of Demonstrative and NounDemonstrative word precedes noun (DemN)542 of 1,225
Order of Object and VerbObject precedes verb (OV)712 of 1,518
Order of Adposition and Noun PhrasePostpositions577 of 1,184
Order of Genitive and NounGenitive-noun (GenN)685 of 1,249
Position of Interrogative Phrases in Content QuestionsInterrogative phrases not obligatorily initial615 of 902
Order of Subject and VerbSubject precedes verb (SV)1,192 of 1,496

Simple clauses 8

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Productivity of the Antipassive Constructionproductive24 of 186
Antipassive ConstructionsOblique patient30 of 194
Polar QuestionsInterrogative verb morphology164 of 955
Nominal and Locational PredicationIdentical117 of 386
Negative MorphemesNegative affix395 of 1,157
Applicative ConstructionsNo applicative construction100 of 183
Other Roles of Applied ObjectsNo applicative construction100 of 183
Zero Copula for Predicate NominalsZero copula is impossible211 of 386

Vocabulary 1

FeatureValueLanguages sharing it
Numeral BasesDecimal125 of 196