Biwdiw syntax

Main article: Biwdiw

This page gives an extensive description of Biwdiw syntactical features.

Main clause and word order

Biwdiw is a mainly SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) language, but there are clear traces hinting to a previous underlying SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) order.

wīruliw līlušɛc subɛ 
the man sees the dog

The quite rich case system allows every other possible word order, but most of them prove to be very marked and infrequently used. SVO order is essentially used in the main clause. Other orders with a clear role and a frequent usage in the main clause are:

• VSO (Verb-Subject-Object), which marks interrogative clauses, namely simple questions.

līlušɛc wīruliw subɛ 
does the man see the dog?

• OSV (Object-Subject-Verb), which marks the so-called passive construct.

subɛ līluš wīruliw
the dog is seen by the man

• VOS (Verb-Object-Subject), which marks the passive construct in a interrogative clause.

līluš subɛ wīruliw
is the dog seen by the man?

When another verb is found inside a main clause, it is placed in the final position of the sentence. Both possible verbal position are called primary verbal position and secondary verbal position.

SV1O(C)V2

Modal verbs, the auxiliary verb çɛňiwgɛ, to be, and the negative verb hīsiwgɛ, to do not, tend to be placed in the primary position, and cause the supported verb to move in the secondary position.

wīruliw hīsjɛc(V1) subɛšu līlušiwgɛ(V2)
the man does not see the dog

wīruliw çɛňɛc(V1) subɛšu līlušiwgɛ(V2)
the man will (repeatedly) see the dog

wīruliw pjɛgisjɛc(V1) subɛšu līlušiwňiwgɛ(V2)
the man can see the dog

When another verb is placed in the primary position, the previous verbal form is moved in the end of the secondary position.

wīruliw çɛňɛc(V1) subɛšu līlušiwgɛ(V2) → wīruliw hīsjɛc(V1) subɛšu līlušiwgɛ çɛňiwgɛ(V2)
the man will (repeatedly) see the dog → the man will not (repeatedly) see the dog

The other elements in the sentence are usually placed in the order “place-manner-cause-time”, although they are basically freer than the main elements. An object in the dative case, when conveying the indirect object, tends to be placed before the direct object of the sentence.

A peculiar feature is the verbal infinitival agreement: when infinitival forms, as nominal forms of the verbs, take a direct object, are regarded as an expression of belonging, and the direct object is declined in the ablative case.

hīsū subɛšu līlušiwgɛ
I do not see the dog