Word Order Facts
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Languages of Australia

Macro-area, as the atlas divides the world

WALS places 183 languages in Australia, from 24 families. The largest are Pama-Nyungan (120), Gunwinyguan (9) and Nyulnyulan (5).

Its most distinctive trait relative to the rest of the atlas: Absence of Common Consonants = no fricatives, held by 29 of 32 languages coded here (91%) against 8% worldwide.

For basic word order, lacking a dominant word order leads with 43 of the 95 languages coded, ahead of SOV (34).

Every WALS language assigned to Australia.

Word order against the world

Languages of Australia with at least 30 coded features, compared with every language coded for each pairing.

dependent before the headboth or otherafter the head

  • Subject and verb
    Australiabefore: 29both or other: 9after: 174% · 3% of 39
    All WALSbefore: 1192both or other: 110after: 19480% · 13% of 1,496
  • Object and verb
    Australiabefore: 23both or other: 9after: 759% · 18% of 39
    All WALSbefore: 712both or other: 101after: 70547% · 46% of 1,518
  • Noun phrase and adposition
    Australiabefore: 9both or other: 12after: 633% · 22% of 27
    All WALSbefore: 577both or other: 96after: 51149% · 43% of 1,184
  • Genitive and noun
    Australiabefore: 16both or other: 13after: 350% · 9% of 32
    All WALSbefore: 685both or other: 96after: 46855% · 37% of 1,249
  • Adjective and noun
    Australiabefore: 6both or other: 7after: 2317% · 64% of 36
    All WALSbefore: 373both or other: 115after: 87927% · 64% of 1,367
  • Demonstrative and noun
    Australiabefore: 22both or other: 3after: 769% · 22% of 32
    All WALSbefore: 551both or other: 84after: 59045% · 48% of 1,225
  • Numeral and noun
    Australiabefore: 8both or other: 4after: 1036% · 45% of 22
    All WALSbefore: 479both or other: 67after: 60842% · 53% of 1,154
  • Relative clause and noun
    Australiaboth or other: 9after: 12none · 57% of 21
    All WALSbefore: 141both or other: 104after: 57917% · 70% of 824
  • Degree word and adjective
    Australiabefore: 3both or other: 1after: 630% · 60% of 10
    All WALSbefore: 227both or other: 62after: 19247% · 40% of 481

Traits far more frequent here

FeatureValueHereAll WALS
Order of Object and VerbBoth orders with neither order dominant31% (33 of 107)7%
Vowel Quality InventoriesSmall vowel inventory (2-4)72% (23 of 32)16%
Finger and HandIdentical52% (23 of 44)12%
Order of Genitive and NounBoth orders occur with neither order dominant32% (22 of 69)8%
Order of Subject, Object and VerbLacking a dominant word order45% (43 of 95)14%
Order of Subject and VerbBoth orders with neither order dominant22% (24 of 107)7%
Voicing in Plosives and FricativesNo voicing contrast97% (31 of 32)32%
Order of Demonstrative and NounTwo or more of above types with none dominant15% (12 of 82)5%
Fixed Stress LocationsInitial: stress is on the first syllable47% (31 of 66)18%

Families and languages