Morpheme order inside the verb: a typological approach

Abstract While much research activity has been devoted to variable morpheme order in individual languages, very little is known about morpheme order variation across languages. In an attempt to partially remedy this state of affairs, this study investigates the ordering patterns in complex words consisting of a verbal nucleus (V), a pronominal affix (PRO) and one of the following grammatical categories (X): past, future, negative, progressive and causative. A large-scale typological analysis reveals that of 30 logically possible ordering options, as many as 28 are attested in the languages of the world. The two predominant orders are consistently PRO-V-X and V-X-PRO. Three ordering biases jointly shape the empirical patterns—Bybee’s notion of relevance, the lexicon-before-grammar principle, and a preference of pronominal affixes to occur in initial positions. The fact that the mirror image principle fails argues for asymmetry as a characteristic feature of serial order.