Word order typology and language universals

7.2. 
Topicalization Hierarchies 
Which constituent of a sentence is to be topic is largely determined by the context, 
linguistic or situational, but over and above this there is a tendency for a topic to be chosen 
according to a variant of the hierarchy namely 1, 2 

3 

human animate 

in animate
(Mallison and Blake 1981: 151). Topics also tend to be specific rather than nonspecific and 
definite rather than indefinite.
It is not surprising that the speaker is at the top of the topicalization hierarchy. 
Language use presupposes the speaker. Language use typically involves communication with 
a hearer. 
You 
are presupposed by communication, second only after
me.
The topicalization 
hierarchy also manifests itself in the behaviour of indirect objects. An indirect object is 
typically high on the hierarchy and the patient in a sentence with an indirect object is 
typically low, usually being inanimate in fact. It is not surprising then to find that in most 
languages the indirect object precedes the direct object, of course, the existence of an indirect 
object is hierarchically determined in the first place. 
Many languages are like English in allowing human locative to be expressed as 
indirect objects but not non-human ones. 
12. I sent my old great coat to the Salvation Army. 
13. I sent the Salvation Army my old great coat. 
14. I sent my old jeans to the tip
15. In sent the tip my old jeans. 
It is probably true that all other things being equal a definite recipient will tend to be 
expressed as an indirect object especially if the patient is indefinite. It is difficult to 
demonstrate this since it involves finding examples with both patient and recipient on the 
same level of the pronoun animacy hierarchy. 
16. The committee allotted the couple a baby 

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25 
17. The committee allotted a baby to the couple 
The sentence (16) seems more natural. The sentence (17) is natural enough if the main stress 
is placed on 
baby
;
 
but it suggests an add situation in which a baby is allotted as opposed to 
something else. 
In some languages, the recipient is simply represented in the same way as any (other) 
phrase expressing ‘to’ or ‘towards’. This ‘marked recipient’ fol
lows the patient in some 
languages, occupying the same position as other local phrases. In majority of languages, the 
relative order of the patient and recipient is hierarchically determined, a participant higher on 
the animacy hierarchy appearing first and a definite participant preceding an indefinite one.