The Distinction
The following trees illustrate the distinction:
The presence of the VP constituent in the configurational tree on the left allows one to define the syntactic relations (subject vs. object) in terms of the configuration. The subject is the argument that appears outside of the VP, whereas the object appears inside it. The flatter structure on the right, where there is no VP, forces/allows one to view aspects of syntax differently. More generally, Hale proposed that non-configurational languages have the following characteristics:
- free (or more accurately, pragmatically determined) word order
- extensive use of null anaphora
- syntactically discontinuous expressions
However, it is not clear that these properties all cluster together. Languages that have been described as non-configurational include Mohawk, Warlpiri, Nahuatl and O'odham (Papago).
Read more about this topic: Non-configurational Language
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