awesome-greek

English Greek Phrase Structure Comparison

The following table lists some common syntactic structures.

• The first column describes the Conceptual Structure, showing its so-called head in bold.
  • The head is somehow the main character in the structure, while the rest gives further information, or modifies the head.
  • Notice that conceptual structures are language-independent, hence there is no order assumed between the head and the rest; each specific language imposes a specific order.
  • The head is arbitrarily listed first.
• The English and Greek columns give examples in English and Modern Greek.
  • The same phrase is translated in both languages along each row, and heads are always bolded.
  • The reader may compare the placement of the head in relation to the rest in each case and language.
• The Agreement column shows whether there is an agreement between English and Greek regarding whether the head leads or trails the structure.

Conceptual Structure	English	Greek	Agreement
1. verb ⟷ direct object	read the book	διαβάζω το βιβλίο	✔️
2. verb ⟷ prepositional phrase	hide under the table	κρύβομαι κάτω από το τραπέζι	✔️
3. verb ⟷ embedded clause	think that he will win	νομίζω οτι θα νικήσει	✔️
4. verb ⟷ personal pronoun	gave me	μου έδωσε	❌
5. verb ⟷ personal pronoun (imperative)	give me	δώσε μου	✔️
6. verb ⟷ modifying adverb	walk quickly	περπατάω γρήγορα	✔️
7. adverb ⟷ modifying adverb	very quickly	πολύ γρήγορα	✔️
8. complementizer ⟷ embedded clause	that he will win	οτι θα νικήσει	✔️
9. auxiliary verb ⟷ main verb	have bought	έχω αγοράσει	✔️
10. preposition ⟷ related noun phrase	in the house	μέσα στο σπίτι	✔️
11. noun ⟷ related prepositional phrase	book under the table	βιβλίο κάτω από το τραπέζι	✔️
12. possessive pronoun ⟷ related noun phrase	my child	παιδί μου	❌
13. number ⟷ related noun phrase	three big bears	τρεις μεγάλες αρκούδες	✔️