V2 word order
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Verb-second (V2) word order, in syntax, is the effect that in some languages the second constituent of declarative main clauses is always a verb, while this is not necessarily the case in other types of clauses.
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V2 effect
The V2 effect is clearly demonstrated in the following Dutch sentences:
| Ik | las | gisteren | dit | boek. |
| I | read | yesterday | this | book |
| "Yesterday I read this book." | ||||
| Gisteren | las | ik | dit | boek. |
| yesterday | read | I | this | book |
| "Yesterday I read this book." | ||||
| Dit | boek | las | ik | gisteren. |
| this | book | read | I | yesterday |
| "Yesterday I read this book." | ||||
It may seem that the verb is in the third position in the last sentence, but it is the second constituent; the first constituent is "dit boek" (this book).
Note the contrast with the following embedded clauses:
| Het | boek, | dat | ik | gisteren | las |
| the | book, | that | I | yesterday | read |
| "The book I read yesterday" | |||||
| Ik | zei | dat | ik | gisteren | dit | boek | las |
| I | said | that | I | yesterday | this | book | read |
| "I said I read this book yesterday." | |||||||
Similar examples can be given for German.
The usual analysis of the Dutch (and German) V2 phenomenon is that the "normal" position of the verb is at the end of the clause (SOV) and that in main clauses, the inflected verb moves to the second position. This is supported by the fact that in sentences with verb clusters, only the auxiliary appears in the second position:
| Ik | heb | dit | boek | gelezen. |
| I | have | this | book | read |
| "I've read this book." | ||||
| Ik | heb | dit | boek | willen | lezen. |
| I | have | this | book | want | read |
| "I've wanted to read this book." | |||||
| Ik | heb | dit | boek | willen | kunnen | lezen. |
| I | have | this | book | want | can | read |
| "I've wanted to be able to read this book." | ||||||
In German these phrases have different word order for the auxiliaries, that closely resemble the SOV word order (auxiliaries following the main verb.) Presented below for contrast with the Dutch above.
| Ich | habe | dieses | Buch | gelesen. |
| I | have | this | book | read |
| "I've read this book." | ||||
| Ich | habe | dieses | Buch | lesen | wollen. |
| I | have | this | book | read | want |
| "I've wanted to read this book." | |||||
| Ich | habe | dieses | Buch | lesen | können | wollen. |
| I | have | this | book | read | can | want |
| "I've wanted to be able to read this book." | ||||||
Classification
V2 word order is primarily associated with Germanic languages, English being a notable exception. (French, a Romance language had a V2 stage, and Kashmiri currently does.) Other verbs are placed in the position dictated by the prevailing word order of the language: in otherwise SVO languages, such as Swedish and Icelandic, the verb is placed after the subject but before the object; in otherwise SOV languages, such as German and Dutch, the verb is placed after the object.
In addition, there are two prime distinctions of V2 languages. The CP-V2 languages such as Swedish and German only allow the movement in main clauses. On the other hand, the IP-V2 languages such as Icelandic and Yiddish require movement in subclauses too. (The CP and IP refer to a particular theory of grammar in which there is a position known as the complementiser, to which the verb moves in CP-V2 languages. Finding it already occupied by the complementiser pronoun 'that' in subclauses, movement is prohibited. On the other hand, in IP languages, a position known as I is found directly after the C position, which is never occupied (except after V2 movement) and thus movement is allowed in subclauses. Although this theory is explained with reference to a particular theory, the difference between Swedish and German grammar on the one hand and Icelandic and Yiddish grammar on the other is real, and the terms 'CP-V2' and 'IP-V2' are used even by those who do not subscribe to the theory.)
An earlier stage of English was V2, and some vestiges of its former structure have remained: fixed phrases such as 'so am I' and productive structures like 'I didn't go and neither did he', with the verb before the subject ('I' and 'he', respectively). As with all verb movement in Modern English, only modal verbs can move, and so the dummy do is added when necessary. It has been argued that older English word order was of the SVO, IP-V2 sort, and it is easy to see how such an order can with little change develop into a simple SVO language as is Modern English today.
Examples
CP-V2, SOV
ex. German, Dutch, examples in both, Dutch being the first examples.
- I read this book yesterday.
- Ik las dit boek gisteren.
- Ich las dieses Buch gestern.
- Yesterday read I this book.
- Gisteren las ik dit boek.
- Gestern las ich dieses Buch
- I said that I this book yesterday read.
- Ik zei dat ik dit boek gisteren las.
- Ich sagte, dass ich dieses Buch gestern las.
- I said that I yesterday this book read.
- Ik zei dat ik gisteren dit boek las.
- Ich sagte, dass ich gestern dieses Buch las.
CP-V2, SVO
ex. Swedish
- I read this book yesterday.
- Jag läste den här boken igår.
- Yesterday read I this book.
- Igår läste jag den här boken.
- You know that I read this book yesterday.
- Du vet att jag läste den här boken igår
- You know that yesterday read I this book.
- Du vet att igår läste jag den här boken.
IP-V2, SVO
ex. Icelandic, Yiddish, examples in Yiddish
- I read this book today.
- Ikh leyen dos bukh haynt.
- Today read I this book.
- Haynt leyen ikh dos bukh.
- You know that I read the book today.
- Du veyst, az ikh leyen dos bukh haynt.
- You know that today read I the book.
- Du veyst, az haynt leyen ikh dos bukh.eo:V2 vortordo