The paper concentrates on the word order in Evenki, in particular, in the verb phrase: verb (V)
and direct object (O). The original order of V and O in Evenki (an Altaic language) is OV. This
word order was rather strict at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the word order has
continually been getting more and more variable. Based on spontaneous oral stories recorded at
the beginning of the 21st century, we compare contexts with OV and with VO and try to formulate
conditions, under which each of the orders is preferred. According to the authors of grammars
and monographs on Evenki and Evenki syntax, the VO order emerges in case of focus or emphasis
on V or on O. Alternatively, V or O can be focalized by focus particles =dV̅ , =kA, etc.
Our results partially support those claims. When V is focused, it is often placed close to the beginning
of the sentence, and its arguments, including O, are post-verbal. When O is contrastively
focalized, it can follow V. If V or O are focalized, focalizing particles can be added to them.
There are, however, other cases of VO that can be found in a story (narrative). When the narrator
just lists sequential events, the OV order is used. The VO order is used when the sequence
of event is broken because of a turning point in the development of the plot, or because the narrator
retreats from the main line of the story, or in concluding sentences that do not belong to the
narrative itself. These cases do not fall under the focusing O/V explanation mentioned above.
Also, if the whole predicate (the whole V + O constituent) is emphasized, the VO order is preferred.
We list examples supporting the rules mentioned. These rules are consistent with a discourse-
oriented approach rather than with a derivational approach, in which OV would be regarded
as basic, whereas each case of VO would be derivable from OV based on grammatical
or information structure rules. So we conclude that a shift to two word orders (OV (unmarked)
and VO (marked)) is emerging in the spoken language. We have also mentioned some other shifts
to VO order in the narrative in the speech of young narrators.