Diachronic pertinacity of light verbs

Abstract

We contrast the historical data with respect to light verbs and auxiliaries in Indo-Aryan and show that light verbs are comparatively stable and unlikely to be subject to reanalysis or restructuring. We propose that there is a very tight connection between a light verb and its corresponding main verb, and that this connection differs markedly from the relationship an auxiliary bears to the main verb it is derived from. In particular, we depart from the received view that the existence of a light verb is due to a historical process of semantic bleaching. We instead propose that synchronically there is a single underlying lexical entry which tightly binds light verbs to their corresponding main verb. This proposal accounts not only for the simultaneous synchronic uses of light and main verbs, but also for the historical data.

Something's gotta go, something's gotta give: completion, mirativity and transitivity in odia light verb constructions

“…Hook () considers light verbs (which he calls vector verbs ) as a subtype of auxiliaries having completive aspectual functions. We agree with Butt & Ramchand () and Butt & Lahiri (, ) that, syntactically, light verbs are not like auxiliaries which, moreover, in Odia are always bound morphemes and not independent lexical entries. We disagree with their conclusion that light verbs therefore should be (semi‐)lexical and that there is one underspecified lexical entry for both the lexical verb and the light verb (a point to which we will return briefly in section ).…”

“…In the few studies on such complex predicates (mostly generative grammar or grammaticalisation studies), there is some debate concerning the grammatical and semantic status of these light verbs. Some researchers (e.g., Hook , Traugott & Hopper 1993) consider them to be grammaticalised forms of lexical verbs as an intermediate step towards further evolution to auxiliaries, a point that others (e.g., Butt & Ramchand , Butt & Lahiri , ) take issue with. At the same time, there seems to be a general consensus in the literature (mostly following Hook ) that light verbs function as perfective markers, but quite often, light verbs do more than just that and they add some further meaning to the predication.…”

Pseudocoordination with posture verbs in Mainland Scandinavian: A grammaticalized progressive construction?

“…It has been claimed, however, that the emergence of light verbs represents a rather minimal case of grammaticalization. Butt & Lahiri (2013) argue that there is a tight connection between a light verb and its corresponding main verb. 9 This makes light verbs different from auxiliaries, which lose the connection to the verb they are derived from.…”

Light verb semantics in theInternational Corpus of English: onomasiological variation, identity evidence and degrees of lightness

“…Karimi 2013, Butt and Lahiri 2013, Family 2011, Butt 2010, Wichmann and Wohlgemuth 2008. For example, Butt (2010) focuses on Urdu, but underlines the issues that arise in defining LVCs in a way that applies to all languages.…”