Editing Dravidian languages (section)

====Syntax====
Characteristic of the Dravidian languages is a fixed [[subject–object–verb word order]] (SOV). Accordingly, the subject comes first in the sentence (it can at most be preceded by circumstantial determinations of time and place) and the predicate always at the end of the sentence. As is characteristic of SOV languages, in the Dravidian languages, attributes always come before their noun, subordinate clauses before main clauses, main verbs before auxiliary verbs, and postpositions are used instead of prepositions. Only in the North Dravidian languages has the rigid SOV word order been relaxed.

A simple sentence consists of a subject and a predicate, which can be either a verb or a noun. There is no copula in Dravidian. The subject is usually in the nominative case, but in many Dravidian languages, in a sentence expressing a feeling, perception or possession, the subject is also in the dative case. In all Dravidian languages except Malayalam, a verbal predicate agrees with a nominative subject. Kui and Kuwi developed a system of congruence between object and verb. In some Dravidian languages (Old Tamil, Gondi) even a nominal predicate takes personal endings. Examples of simple sentences from Tamil:

: ''avar eṉṉaik kēṭṭār.'' (he me asked) 'He asked me.' (subject in nominative, verbal predicate)
: ''avar eṉ appā.'' (he my father) 'He is my father.' (subject in nominative, nominal predicate)
: ''avarukku kōpam vantatu.'' (to-him anger it-came) 'He became angry.' (subject in dative, verbal predicate)
: ''avarukku oru makaṉ.'' (to-him a son) 'He has a son.' (subject in dative, nominal predicate)

Complex sentences consist of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. In general, a sentence can contain only one finite verb. The Dravidian languages have no conjunctions; subordinate clauses are formed just like [[parataxis|parataxes]] by infinite verb forms. These include the infinitive, the verbal participle, which expresses a sequence of actions, and the conditional, which expresses a conditionality. Relative clauses correspond to constructions with the so-called adnominal participles. Examples from Tamil:

: ''avarai varac col.'' (him to-come tell) 'Tell him to come.' (infinitive)
: ''kaṭaikku pōyi muṭṭaikaḷ koṇṭuvā.'' (to-the-shop go-then eggs get-come) 'Go to the shop and bring eggs.' (verb participle)
: ''avaṉ poy coṉṉāl ammā aṭippāḷ.'' (he lie if-saying mother will-beat) 'If he lies, mother will beat him.' (Conditional)
: ''avaṉ coṉṉatu uṇmai.'' (he said truth) 'What he says is true.' (adnominal participle)

These constructions are not possible for subordinate clauses with a nominal predicate, since no infinite forms can be formed for a noun. Here one gets by with the so-called [[quotative verb]] (usually an infinite form of 'to say'), through which the nominal subordinate clause is embedded in the sentence structure. Example from Tamil:

: ''nāṉ avaṉ nallavaṉ eṉṟu niṉaikkiṟēṉ.'' (I he [good-man]-like-that thinking) 'I think he's a good man.'