Editing Khwe language (section)

== Syntax ==
Generally, Khoisan languages have an SV constituent order. Central Khoisan languages have a dominant AOV [[constituent order]], including Khwe, though OAV order is used more frequently in casual conversation and storytelling.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title = Coding Participant Marking: Construction Types in Twelve African Languages|last = Killian-Hatz|first = Christa|publisher = John Benjamins Publishing|year = 2009|location = Philadelphia, PA|editor-last = Dimmendaal|editor-first = Gerrit Jan}}</ref>

Khwe lacks a separate class of [[adjective]]s. [[Pronoun]]s, [[noun]]s and [[verb]]s, especially state verbs, can be used attributively. Khwe has a [[Grammatical modifier|modifier]]-[[Head (linguistics)|head]] order,<ref name=":3" /> in which manner adverbs precede the verb, and adjectives and possessors attributes precede the noun.

In Khwe, subjects of [[intransitive verb]]s, subjects and direct objects of transitive verbs, and one of the objects of ditransitive verbs are commonly omitted when the participants are known to the speakers through inner- or extra-linguistic context.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title = Serial Verb Constructions: A Cross-Linguistic Typology|url = https://archive.org/details/serialverbconstr00aikh|url-access = limited|last1 = Aikenvald|first1 = Alexandra|publisher = Oxford University Press|year = 2005|location = Oxford|pages = [https://archive.org/details/serialverbconstr00aikh/page/n132 108]–110|last2 = Dixon|first2 = R.M.W.|series = Explorations in Linguistic Typology}}</ref>

Khwe has two multiverbal constructions that may denote a series of closely connected events: serial verb constructions (SVC) and converb constructions.<ref name=":5" /> An SVC expresses a complex event composed by two or more single events that happen at the same time, and a converb construction marks the immediate succession of two or more events.

SVCs in Khwe consist of two or more verbs forming a single intonation unit, with only the last verb being marked for TAM. The preceding verbs obligatorily take the active voice suffix. Converb constructions may consist of two or more verbs, only one of which takes the TAM marking.