= World Atlas of Language Structures
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The <World Atlas of Language Structures> is a structured collection of documented properties of <languages>, covering <phonology>, <grammar> and lexical organization. Its online presentation connects feature values, explanatory chapters, maps and references. The first book version appeared in 2005, followed by an online version in 2008.<WALS Online by Matthew S. Dryer and Martin Haspelmath>[project description, publication history and navigation]{ref}
One chapter classifies the relative order of <subject (grammar)>, <object (grammar)> and <verb>. It distinguishes six dominant orders and a category for languages lacking a dominant order. The author also explains the operational meanings used for the participant labels, which need not match every grammatical framework.<Order of Subject, Object and Verb by Matthew S. Dryer>[§1 and map 81A, categories and participant definitions]{ref}
This makes the resource useful as inspectable scientific data, rather than merely a colored map. A blank entry does not establish that a feature is absent, and a category assignment depends on its chapter's definitions. Reproducible analysis records the feature, dataset version and selection rule; the provider requests citations to the specific chapters supplying data.<WALS Online by Matthew S. Dryer and Martin Haspelmath>[How to cite WALS Online]{ref}
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