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Light verb

In linguistics, a light verb is a verb that has little semantic content of its own and forms a predicate with some additional expression, which is usually a noun. Common verbs in English that can function as light verbs are do, give, have, make, get, and take. Other names for light verb include delexical verb, vector verb, explicator verb, thin verb…

In other languages, Diachronic considerations & Examples

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In other languages

YiddishFrenchHindiBǎ constructionChinese
16 related topics

Diachronic considerations

Diachronic linguisticsComputational linguisticsClineCliticAffix
6 related topics

Examples

Stretched verbsHindiUrduHindustani
4 related topics

Overview

LinguisticsVerbSemanticPredicateAuxiliary verbs
10 related topics

Topics to explore

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Overview

Examples

In other languages

Diachronic considerations

Advanced semantic analysis

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Map overview Semantic statistics

Light verb

Nodes41
Edges40
Triples140
Avg. degree1.95
Density0.04878
Components1

How this topic connects Entity context

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Light verb

Top relations

related to References · 76
Light verb → ACL, Adger, Asian Studies, Austronesian Historical Phonology, Aygen, Bowern, Butt, Cambridge University Press, Cognitive Linguistics, Collins Cobuild English Grammar, Construction Grammar, Constructions, Core, Dependency Grammar, Dhanesh, Fazly, George, George Allen, Grimshaw, Grohmann
related to In other languages · 12
Light verb → Akan, Basque, Chinese, Examples, French, Ga, Hindi, Indo-Iranian, Japanese, Kwa, Light, Yiddish
related to English · 8
Light verb → Each, English, Most, NOT, Note, Some, The, We
related to External links · 8
Light verb → Acceptability, Archived, Light Verb ConstructionsVincze, Measures, Miriam Butt's The, Veronika Detecting, Wayback MachineRyan North's Computational, Yee Fan's
related to Hindi-Urdu · 8
Light verb → English, Hindi, Hindustani, Light, Some, The, Urdu, While
related to Contrasted with auxiliary verbs and full verbs · 6
Light verb → English, Full, Light, Many, That, The
related to Diachronic considerations · 6
Light verb → Butt, From, However, In, Lahiri, Light
related to Alternative constructions with full verbs · 4
Light verb → Many, Such, The, There
related to Australian languages · 4
Light verb → Australian Aboriginal, In, Many Australian, Thus
is a · 1
Light verb → verb that has little semantic content of its own and forms a predicate with some additional expression

Important terminology Word statistics

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Important terminology

light verbs verb constructions full auxiliary predicate languages semantic english noun meaning linguistics main content semantically hindi appear take empty

Entity relationships Subject–Predicate–Object triples

SubjectPredicateObjectConfidenceSrc
Light verbis averb that has little semantic content of its own and forms a predicate with some additional expression0.90text
jo in jo foi 'runinstance ofLight verbs are also equivalent to inherent complement verbs in many Kwa languages0.80text
preverbs to form complex verbal predicatesinstance ofmatrix verbs are combined with coverbal elements0.80text
the aboveinstance ofIn a case0.80text
liyan 'heart' is the preverb containing most of the semantic contentinstance ofIn a case0.80text
Jinguluinstance ofin extremely rare cases in languages0.80text
there can be intervening elements between the semantically-rich preverbinstance ofin extremely rare cases in languages0.80text
the inflected matrix verbinstance ofin extremely rare cases in languages0.80text
Light verbrelated to Alternative constructions with full verbsMany0.60section
Light verbrelated to Alternative constructions with full verbsSuch0.60section
Light verbrelated to Alternative constructions with full verbsThere0.60section
Light verbrelated to Alternative constructions with full verbsThe0.60section

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    Min side: 3
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