In this paper the bitransitive clause is defined in terms of its nuclear tagmemes: subject, predicate, direct object, and indirect object. A semantic characterization is given of the prototype bitransitive clause with a correlation of situational roles and grammatical functions. The nine different dominant orders in bitransitive clauses which were found in the languages surveyed are discussed as well as some order variations. A tabulation is shown of the languages studied showing the dominant bitransitive order of each language. A set of criteria is proposed for determining the dominant order when different orders occur in the same language in differing grammatical situations. Additional functional values of indirect object markers are discussed. The paper concludes with a list of proposed language universals, and a bibliography with references for both general and specific works in the field, including grammatical descriptions of various languages. (Author/CLK)