VSO and VOS: Aspects of Niuean Word Order, 2000

Abstract

This chapter explores the verb initial theme through an examination of predicate fronting in the Polynesian language Niuean. It serves largely to describe Niuean fronting so as to place it in a typology of VSO languages. A brief examination of non-verbal predicate sentences, and of noun incorporation structures, leads to the conclusion that Niuean is not a verb-fronting language, but rather a predicate-fronting language. It is proposed that predicate fronting takes place, analogously to subject fronting in SVO languages, to check an Extended Projection Principle-related feature [Pred]. Thus, Niuean predicate fronting to IP, resulting in the so-called VSO order, is an externalization process, and is fundamentally different from the verb fronting to IP witnessed in SVO languages such as French.

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