A Study of Areal and Genealogical Distribution of Word Order around the World

在这项研究中，我列出了大约3000种语言的语序数据，列出了语序的谱系分布，并绘制了全球每个地区的语序分布图，所有这些都是世界上最大的。从地域类型学的角度分析语序，我们发现只有两到三种语序类型，即一致的VO和一致或次一致的OV类型占据了地球上广阔的连续区域。尽管存在一些语序不一致的语言，但没有一个不一致的类型占据了如此大的连续区域，它们通常位于一致类型周围，并带有一些地理或历时因素：不同类型之间的语言接触或从一个一致类型过渡到另一个一致类型。因此，我们可以认为一致类型仍然是人类语言的基本、理想或原型类型，而不一致类型是典型的过渡型，只存在于一致语序类型的外围区域。目前，一致VO类型的面积几乎与一致OV类型的面积一样大。然而，从历史的角度来看，很可能是在新石器时代以后主要语系开始扩张之前，大部分地区已经覆盖了(S)OV型语言，而VO型语言的地区在新石器时代后开始扩大之前就已经非常有限了。虽然在这次研究中我已经发表了几篇论文，但我打算更深入地研究语序的地区和谱系分布，并写一本关于这一主题的书。

In this study, I have made a list of data on word order from around 3,000 languages, a list of its genealogical distribution, and maps of word order distributions in each area on the globe, all of which are the largest in the world. Analyzing them, I have demonstrated the following points in the present study.When the word order is considered from an areal-typological point of view, we find that only two or three word order types, namely, consistent VO, and consistent or subconsistent OV types occupy vast continuous areas on the globe. Although there exist a number of languages with inconsistent word order, none of the inconsistent types occupies such a large continuous area, and they are usually located around consistent types with some geographical or diachronic factors : language contact between different types or transition from one consistent type to another. Thus, we can consider the consistent types to be still significant as basic, ideal, or prototypical types of human languages, and inconsistent types to be typically transitional types, which exist only in peripheral areas of consistent word order types.Currently, the areas of consistent VO type are almost as large as those of consistent OV type. When the distribution is considered from a historical point of view, however, it is very likely that most of the areas had been covered with (S)OV-type languages and that the areas of VO type had been very restricted before major language families began to expand after the Neolithic age.Although I have already published several papers during this study, I intend to study the areal and genealogical distribution on word order more intensively, and write a book on the topic.