Object Subject Verb
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| Linguistic typology |
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| Morphological typology |
| Analytic language |
| Synthetic language |
| Fusional language |
| Agglutinative language |
| Polysynthetic language |
| Oligosynthetic language |
| Morphosyntactic alignment |
| Theta role |
| Syntactic pivot |
| Nominative-accusative language |
| Ergative-absolutive language |
| Active language |
| Tripartite language |
| Time Manner Place |
| Place Manner Time |
| Subject Verb Object |
| Subject Object Verb |
| Verb Subject Object |
| Verb Object Subject |
| Object Subject Verb |
| Object Verb Subject |
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Object Subject Verb (OSV) is one of the permutations of expression used in Linguistic typology. OSV denotes the sequence "Object Subject Verb" in neutral expressions: Oranges Sam ate. It is a notation used when classifying languages according to the dominant sequence of these constitutents.
This sequence is rare. One example of a language that uses it is Xavante. It is also found in some other languages of Brazil, including Jamamadi, Apurinã, Kayabí and Nadëb.
One fictional example of this type of ordering is the speech of the character Yoda in Star Wars (though not consistent). Although his meaning can be understood, the order of words sounds very peculiar to English speakers, adding to the strangeness and slightly cryptic nature of the character: A brave man your father was. When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. This word order appears in a number of conlangs, such as Teonaht, as it is often chosen by language inventors for its exotic sound. This word order is also used in the game Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars by Bowyer.
In English this word order may be used to emphasize the object: Ahh, now spaghetti I do like.
In contrast, in Tamil, which ordinarily follows SOV, this word order emphasises the subject: "Naan puththakaththai padiththen" (normal SOV) "I book-obj read (past)" I read a book (in the past).
"Puththakaththai naan padiththen" (OSV) "Book-obj I read (past)" It was I who read the book.
This word order often features the suffix(?) "thaan" with the subject, to emphasise the subject as the doer. "Puththakaththai naan thaan padiththen" "Book-obj I (emphatic) read (past)" It was indeed I who read the book.
The permutations in the order of most common to rarest are:
- Subject Verb Object (SVO) Sam ate oranges. (for example English, German, Kiswahili, Chinese)
- Subject Object Verb (SOV) Sam oranges ate. (for example Japanese, Korean, Persian, Latin)
- Verb Subject Object (VSO) Ate Sam oranges. (for example Welsh, Hawaiian and Arabic)
- Verb Object Subject (VOS) Ate oranges Sam. (for example Fijian)
- Object Verb Subject (OVS) Oranges ate Sam. (for example Hixkaryana, or the artificial language Klingon)
- Object Subject Verb (OSV) Oranges Sam ate. (for example Yoda's unusual dialect of Basic)