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a type of language where grammatical relationships between words are primarily marked on the head or main elements of a construction, rather than on the dependents
What is a "head-marking language"?
A head-marking language is a type of language where grammatical relationships, such as subject and object roles, are indicated by adding markers or inflections to the head of a phrase, usually the verb, rather than to the dependent words like nouns or pronouns. In these languages, the verb carries the grammatical information that shows how the other words in the sentence relate to it. For example, the verb might include markers that specify the subject and object, without needing additional case markings on the nouns themselves. Head-marking languages often simplify the structure of noun phrases while making verbs carry more grammatical information. Examples include Navajo and some Mayan languages.
