Word order in copular constructions
The copula is a linguistic item—either an independent word, affix or a clitic—that serves to link the subject to a nonverbal predicate1, while expressing no other function2. When it appears as an independent word, it is usually identical to the verb be. Word order can be determined only if the copula is morphologically expressed; zero morphemes are therefore excluded from analysis.
Types:
NoCop: The language does not have a copula.
CopPred: The copula precedes the nonverbal predicate.
PredCop: The copula follows the nonverbal predicate.
1: If no such word appears in the present tense, non-present tenses should be examined. If a copula appears in those tenses, then a copular paradigm with a zero morpheme for present tense can be assumed.
2: Copular verbs that also express a translative function (‘become’) or its opposite (‘stay’ or ‘remain’ something) do not constitute real copulas from a typological perspective, because they can also appear in non-copular languages.