The relation between the constituent order of a sentence and its acceptability score is a complex one. This is due to the fact that both the crucial independent variable, constituent order, and the dependent one, acceptability judgments, are inherently multifactorial. This contribution seeks to disentangle this relation by (i) enumerating the factors that contribute to the ordering of constituents in non-canonical orders, i.e. orders that deviate from the unmarked order of a given language, (ii) giving an explanation of how these factors interact in terms of the notion of contextual licensing, and (iii) providing a survey of the experimental evidence accrued so far both in favor of and against such an explanation for a number of different constructions. An outlook on possibilities for further research concludes the chapter.

This chapter gives an introductory overview of the basic typological properties of the languages of mainland Southeast Asia, including the morphological profile, and the relative position of major components of phrases, including clauses, noun phrases, adpositional phrases, and comparative constructions. The chapter discusses sentence type distinctions, with a special focus on sentence-final particles, which are found across the mainland Southeast Asia area. The chapter features a section on expressive language, including expressives/ideophones and poetic idioms.