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A Study of Areal and Genealogical Distribution of Word Order around the World

Research Project

Project/Area Number 09610529
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field 言語学・音声学
Research InstitutionHIROSAKI UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

YAMAMOTO Hideki  Hirosaki University, Faculty of Humanities, Associate Professor, 人文学部, 助教授 (20200834)

Project Period (FY) 1997 – 1999
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1999)
Budget Amount *help
¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
KeywordsLinguistic Typology / Word Order Type / Consistent Word Order / Typogeography / the World's Languages / Comparative Linguistics / Language Contact / Geographical Typology / 再建 / 地理的分布 / 系統的分布 / 語順変化 / 準整合的語順 / 通時変化
Research Abstract

In this study, I have made a list of data on word order from around 3,000 languages, a list of its genealogical distribution, and maps of word order distributions in each area on the globe, all of which are the largest in the world. Analyzing them, I have demonstrated the following points in the present study.
When the word order is considered from an areal-typological point of view, we find that only two or three word order types, namely, consistent VO, and consistent or subconsistent OV types occupy vast continuous areas on the globe. Although there exist a number of languages with inconsistent word order, none of the inconsistent types occupies such a large continuous area, and they are usually located around consistent types with some geographical or diachronic factors : language contact between different types or transition from one consistent type to another. Thus, we can consider the consistent types to be still significant as basic, ideal, or prototypical types of human languages, and inconsistent types to be typically transitional types, which exist only in peripheral areas of consistent word order types.
Currently, the areas of consistent VO type are almost as large as those of consistent OV type. When the distribution is considered from a historical point of view, however, it is very likely that most of the areas had been covered with (S)OV-type languages and that the areas of VO type had been very restricted before major language families began to expand after the Neolithic age.
Although I have already published several papers during this study, I intend to study the areal and genealogical distribution on word order more intensively, and write a book on the topic.

Report

(4 results)
  • 1999 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1998 Annual Research Report
  • 1997 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (9 results)

All Other

All Publications (9 results)

  • [Publications] 山本秀樹: "世界諸言語における語順の地理的分布の変遷"一般化言語学論叢. 第1号. 49-72 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yamamoto Hideki: "A Survey of Areal Distribution of Word Order around the World"Sprachtypologic und Universalienforschung. Vol.52. 64-77 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 山本秀樹: "世界言語類型地図-語順から見た言語類型地理"言語類系地理論シンポジウム論文集. (仮題,印刷中). (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yamamoto, Hideki: "History of Areal Distnbutlon of Word Order around the World"Journal of General Linguistics. 1. 49-72 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yamamoto, Hideki: "A Survey of Areal Distribution of Word Order around the World"Sprachtypologic und Universalienforschung. 52. 64-77 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yamamoto, Hideki: "A Map of Typology of the World's Languges : Typogeography of Word Order"Papers for Symposium Typology. (in press). (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yamamoto Hideki: "A Survey of Areal Distribution of Word Order around the World"Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung. vol.52. 64-77 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 山本秀樹: "世界言語類型地図-語順から見た言語類型地理"言語類型地理論シンポジウム論文集. (仮題, 印刷中). (2000)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 山本秀樹: "世界諸言語における語順の地理的分布の変遷" 一般言語学論叢. 第1号. 49-72 (1998)

    • Related Report
      1998 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1997-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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