This article paper examines responsive actions built with distinct word orders, targeting two close relatives: the Finnish kyl(lä) element and Estonian küll. It is asserted that word order concerning peripheral elements, like adverbs and particles, may be constitutive of units performing social actions. It proposes that action's sequential assay is an ideal procedure for disclosing subtile semantic and pragmatic discrepancies between the usages of historically close items in linked languages.