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V2 EFFECT The V2 effect is clearly demonstrated in the following Dutch sentences: 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: 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: 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. CLASSIFICATION V2 word order is primarily associated with 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). 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.
::Ik las dit boek gisteren. ::Ich las dieses Buch gestern.
::Gisteren las ik dit boek. ::Gestern las ich dieses Buch
::Ik zei dat ik dit boek gisteren las. ::Ich sagte, dass ich dieses Buch gestern las.
::Ik zei dat ik gisteren dit boek las. ::Ich sagte, dass ich gestern dieses Buch las. CP-V2, SVO ex. Swedish
::Jag läste den här boken igår.
::Igår läste jag den här boken.
::Du vet att jag läste den här boken igår
::Du vet att igår läste jag den här boken. IP-V2, SVO ex. Icelandic, Yiddish, examples in Yiddish
::Ikh leyen dos bukh haynt.
::Haynt leyen ikh dos bukh.
::Du veyst, az ikh leyen dos bukh haynt.
::Du veyst, az haynt leyen ikh dos bukh. |
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