Object–verb–agent

In linguistic typology, object–verb–subject (OVS) or object–verb–agent (OVA) is a rare permutation of word order. OVS denotes the sequence object–verb–subject in unmarked expressions: Oranges ate Sam, Thorns have roses. While the passive voice in English may appear to be in the OVS order, this is not an accurate description. In an active voice sentence, for example Sam ate the oranges, the grammatical subject, Sam, is the 'agent', who is acting on the 'patient,' the oranges, which are the object of the verb ate. In the passive voice, The oranges were eaten by Sam, the order is reversed so that patient is followed by verb, followed by agent. However, the oranges become the subject of the verb were eaten which is modified by the prepositional phrase by Sam, which expresses the agent, maintaining the usual subject–verb–(object) order.

OVS sentences in English can be parsed when relating an adjective to a noun (i.e. "cold is Alaska") although here cold is a predicative adjective, not an object. Rare examples of valid, if idiomatic, English use of OVS typology are the poetic hyperbaton 'Answer gave he none' and 'what say you?' These examples are highly unusual and not typical of modern spoken English.

OVS is a class of languages used in the classification of languages according to the dominant sequence of these constituents. In this case, the sequence of the constituents is object–verb–subject. Examples of languages that use it include Guarijio, Hixkaryana, Urarina and to some extent also Tapirapé.

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