Word Order

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to see a definition of the term syntax see Syntax (definition)


Basic Word Order

Neutral Indicative Clauses

Transitive Verbs

In information structure-neutral indicative clauses with a transitive verb, the word order is Verb+Subject+Object (VSO). Due to restrictions on the inflection of verbs, such as the use of the auxiliary construction in the present tense, VSO order is primarily true only in past tense and future tense clauses.

(1)

Phòg Muirgheal Pòl
kiss.past Muriel Paul
verb subject object
'Muriel kissed Paul'

Intransitive Verbs

When the verb is intransitive, then the order is still verb initial:

(2)

Dh'fhag Muirgheal
leave.past Muriel
verb subject
Muriel left.

Ditransitive Verbs

When the verb is ditransitive, then the order is VSO followed by a prepositional phrase (PP) indicating the indirect object (i.e. the equivalent to John put the book on the table). In Gaelic, there are no double object constructions (like the English John gave Mary the book) instead prepositional constructions must be used (John gave the book to Mary)

(3)

bheir Brighde an t-airgead do Chailean
give.INDEF1 Bridget the money to Colin
Verb Subject Object Preposition Indirect Object
'Bridget will give the money to Colin.'

The position and ordering of Adverbs and Adverbials

In Scottish Gaelic, a common way to create an adverb is to prefix the adverbial particle, gu-, to an adjective. These adverbs demonstrate a good deal of flexibility in term of word order in the clause.

Manner Adverbs:

Thuirt i ris gu coibhneil
said she to him ADV kind
Verb Subject Indirect Object Adverb kind
'She said to him kindly.'


Gu coibhneil thuirt i ris
ADV kind said she to him
Adverb kind Verb Subject Indirect Object
'She said to him kindly.'


Thuirt i gu coibhneil ris
said she ADV kind to him
Verb Subject Adverb kind Indirect Object
'She said to him kindly.'

Examples from Lamb (42)


Time Adverbs:

Tha Domhnall an gobha ag obair sa cheardaich an-drasda
is.pres Donald the smith PROG work.vn in.the forge.dat right now
Verb Subject Relative Clause Aspect Verbal Noun Location Adverb
'Donald the smith is working in the forge right now.'

Lamb (30)


Chunnaic mi an duine sin 'san eaglais an-diugh
see.past I that man in church today
Verb Subject Object Location Adverb
'I saw that man in church today.'

Lamb (70)

Word order in Neutral Negative Sentences, Yes/No Questions, and Negative Yes/No Questions

Word order in Neutral Negative Sentences

Scottish Gaelic can have both single and double negatives in the main clause. Clausal negation is marked by the particles cha(n) and nach.


Single Negation:

Chan eil iad gu math
NEG be.PRES.DEP they ADV well
NEG Verb Subject Adverb
'They are not well.'


Double Negation:

Cha chreid mi nach eil iad gu math
NEG believe.INDEF1 I NEG-COMP be.PRES they ADV well
NEG Verb Subject NEG Verb Subject Adverb
'I don't believe that they are not well.'


Adding the negative particle na before an imperative yeilds the Negative Imperative:

Na ithibh sin
NEG eat that
NEG Verb Object
'Don't eat that.'


Examples from Lamb (61)

Yes/No Questions

Yes/No Questions in Scottish Gaelic are formed with the interrogative particle (an) and the dependent form of the verb.


An teid thu leam a Mary
QP go.INDEF1.DEP you with.1s Vocative Mary
QP Verb Subject Indirect Object Vocative Mary
'Will you go with me, Mary?.'


Example from Lamb (59)

Tag Questions

Tag questions consist of a main declarative clause followed by (1) a question particle and (2) a copy of the matrix verb. In Scottish Gaelic, unlike English, we can attest to four types of tag questions in relation to negation of the verbs. Since there are two verbs in each question (the matrix verb and its tagged copy) and each one of these verbs can be either positive or negative, we have the possible combinations: POS-POS; POS-NEG; NEG-NEG; NEG-POS.

In English, we have to have conflicting polarity in our tagged questions, such as 'You're not going there, are you?' or 'You're going there, aren't you?', but we can never have an agreement in polarity such as, '*You're not going there, aren't you?'

However, in Gaelic we find all four logical combinations:


1) POS-POS

Tha thu a' falbh a bheil
be.PRES you PROG depart.VN QP be.PRES.DEP
Verb Subject Aspect Verbal Noun QP Verb
'You are leaving, are you?'


2) POS-NEG

Tha thu a' falbh nach eil
be.PRES you PROG depart.VN QP-NEG be.PRES.DEP
Verb Subject Aspect Verbal Noun QP_NEG Verb
'You are leaving, aren't you?'


3) NEG-NEG

Chan eil thu a' falbh nach eil
NEG be.PRES.DEP you PROG depart.VN QP-NEG be.PRES.DEP
NEG Verb Subject Aspect Verbal Noun QP-NEG Verb
'You aren't leaving, aren't you?'


4) NEG-POS

Chan eil thu a' falbh a bheil
NEG be.PRES.DEP you PROG depart.VN QP be.PRES.DEP
NEG Verb Subject Aspect Verbal Noun QP Verb
'You aren't leaving, are you?'

Negative Yes/No Questions

Nach eil iad gu math
NEG be.PRES.DEP they ADV well
NEG Verb Subject Adverb
'Are they not well?.'


Example from Lamb (61)

Word order with Neutral Grade Pronouns

Word order with non-verbal predicates

Non-verbal predicates are predicates that aren't verbs (John is a fool, John is big, John is in the living room).

Using the verb Bi

When an adjective or a prepositional phrase (PP) is serving as the predicate (e.g. John is big. John is in the room. The order of elements uses some form of the verb bi, followed by the subject followed by the nonverbal predicate:


Thà Iain mòr
Be.pres John big
John is big


Bhà Iain anns an seòmar
be.past John in.def the room
John was in the room

Using the verb Is

With no verb (small clauses)

Word order in Auxiliary Constructions

In Imperfect (Progressive) clauses

In Gaelic the normal present tense of all verbs except bi is absent. Instead a periphrastic construction using the auxiliary bi is used along with a verbal noun and an aspect particle (typically A. This has both imperfect and progressive meanings. The structure of these sentences is:

(Particles)+Auxiliary+Subject+Imperfect marker+Verbal+Object

In prescriptive grammars the object is supposed to be in the genitive case although in the spoken language (and in the written forms of most speakers), the object is in the common case


Tha Iain ag ithe an t-aran
Be.pres John progressive eat.vn the bread
Verb Subject Prog Aspect Verbal Noun object
John is eating the bread
Bha mi a' dol dhan bhuth(aidh)
Be.past I PROG go.vn to-the shop(DAT)
Verb Subject Prog Aspect Verbal Noun Prepositional Phrase
'I was going to the shop'

In Perfect, Recent Perfect, Prospective clauses

Chaidh mi dhan bhuth(aidh)
go.past I to.the shop(DAT)
Verb Subject Article object
'I went to the shop'
Chan eil Ealasaid air Dughall fhaicinn
NEG be.pres.dep Elizabeth PERF Dugald seeing.vn
NEG Verb Subject Aspect Object Verbal Noun
'Elizabeth has not seen Dugald'

In Statives

Cross-linguistically, there is a distinction between verbs that describe states of being and other verbs which entail some dynamic motion or action.

Stative Sentence:

Tha mi nam shuidhe
be.pres I in my sitting
Verb Subject Adposition Verbal Noun
'I am sitting.'

Dynamic Sentence:

Tha mi a' suidhe
be.pres I at sitting
Verb Subject Adposition Verbal Noun
'I am sitting down.'

This basic analysis does not completely explain Gaelic's own distinction. It is better to say that, in terms of thematic relations, Gaelic treats Agent arguments differently from non-Agents.

Tha mi a' sileadh fala(dh)
be.pres I at dripping.vn blood.gen
Verb Subject Adposition Verbal Noun Object
'I am bleeding.'
Lamb (51)

In passives

Modals

When modals are used in SG, the modal word is fronted to the beginning of the sentence and the matrix verb goes to the end:

Feumaidh mi ithe
must I eat.vn
Modal Subject Verbal Noun
'I must eat.'

Word order in Embedded Clauses

Word order in finite Embedded Clauses

Word order in non-finite Embedded Clauses

Thuirt mi gun na h-uighean ithe
said I NEG the eggs eat.INF
Verb Subject NEG Article Object Verb
'I said not to eat the eggs.'

Word order in Relative Clauses

Word order in Clefts

Word order in Wh-Questions

Wh-phrase + question particle + Verb + rest of sentence

The question particle is often omitted if it follows a question ending in a vowel. The form of the question particle and the verb is dependent upon which wh-word is being used.

Ciamar a tha thu?
how wh-direct be.pres you
wh-phrase particle Verb rest of sentence
How are you


an aois a tha thu?
what the age wh-direct be.pres you
wh-phrase particle Verb rest of sentence
How old are you

When a question word is in some adpositional phrase, the adposition can be fronted with the WH word (pied-piping) or it can be left in the original gap.

Co ris a bha thu a' bruidhinn
Who to QP be.PAST you PROG speaking.VN
WH P QP Verb Subject Aspect Verbal Noun
'To whom were you speaking?'


Co a bha thu a' bruidhinn ris
Who QP be.PAST you PROG speaking.VN to
WH QP Verb Subject Aspect Verbal Noun P
'Who were you speaking to?'

Examples from Lamb (60)

Word Order in Noun Phrases

Article + Noun + Adjectives + Prepositional phrases

  • boat: bàta
  • the boat: am bàta
  • the big boat am bàta mòr
  • The big boat in the sea am bàta mòr anns a' mhuir

Possessors in the genitive follow the possessed NP:

Possessed + Article + Possessor(gen)

  • leabhar an duine

Specific Articles On The Word Order within Phrases