Word order refers to the
linear sequence in which words occur in sentences. This section
deals with word order in simple sentences.
The predominant word
order in simple sentences of Karbi is SOV (S, the subject, O,
the object, V, the verb). But OSV is also grammatical in most of
the sentences. In imperative sentences, the subject is aoptional.
la vo pithilo
S O
V
‘he kills the bird’
alaliphan
ocho lalo
O
S
V
‘the child sees him’
(na)
la-phan coknon
(S)
O V
‘(you) beat him’
If both the direct and
indirect objects are present, one order is preferred over the
other in some sentences.
la
nephan
nepinon
D.O.
I.O.
V
laphan
tomo
thannon
I.O.
D.O.
V
'tell her a story’
The case nouns (other
than genitive) and the nouns with post positions follow the
subject generally.
ne napen
vapo
‘I will come along with
you’
la nechon
thakthak
‘he looks like me’
kitap tebul arumchi
do
‘the book is below the
table’
methan nenu
valo
‘the dog came behind me’
ne hem damlo
‘I went home’
The order can be changed
in many of the above sentences. In some sentences, the case
nouns precede the subject preferably.
thepipen
arvo ijirlo
‘the leaves fall from
the tree’
alalilo ne damde
‘I will not go with him’
When two predicate noun phrases occur in the
sentence, then the order is as follows. The source noun precedes
the nouns denoting direct object or goal.
li
nahokta laphan lo
