DefinePK

Abstract

This  study  investigates  the  comparative  syntactic  structures  of word  order  in Potwari,  a  regional  Indo-Aryan  language  spoken  in  Pakistan,  and  English,  a  global language with Germanic roots. A number of studies are available on different languages word order but limited research is available on the word order of potwari language. Therefore by applying qualitative methodology focusing on the Universal Grammar framework and the Minimalist Program, the research examines how Potwari's Subject- Object-Verb (SOV) structure contrasts with English's Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. By analyzing declarative, interrogative, complex, and negative sentences, this study explores morph syntactic features such as negation, auxiliary placement, and adjective- noun order. The findings suggest that Potwari’s surface SOV order is derived from an underlying SVO structure through syntactic movement, consistent with the Linear Correspondence Axiom (LCA). This analysis underscores Potwari’s head-final syntactic tendencies and English’s head-initial   alignment, contributing to typological   and theoretical discussions of linguistic universals. Additionally, this research highlights the linguistic richness of Potwari, bridging gaps in its   syntactic documentation and promoting a deeper understanding of cross-linguistic variations.