Work

Light verb constructions and the Principle of No Synonymy – A case study on German stehen unter -LVCs

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Light verb constructions (LVCs) are complex predicates that consist of a desemanticized (light) verb and a phrasal element. A recurring element in the discussion of German light verb constructions is the claim that these multi-word units can be substituted by simplex verbs and are thus synonymous with simplex verbs. In this paper, I examine the question of synonymy based on a selected data sample of LVCs consisting of stehen ‘stand’ and the preposition unter ‘under’. Based on the assumption that total synonyms should not exist, I demonstrate that stehen unter -LVCs not only differ semantically from corresponding simplex verb constructions but also from seemingly synonymous LVCs, and therefore do not form synonyms with the mentioned construction types. While the first type of synonymy (LVCs and simplex verbs) has already been discussed in depth in the literature, the discussion of seemingly synonymous LVCs represents a new step in the discourse on LVCs.

Source: Yearbook of the German Cognitive Linguistics Association

DOI: 10.1515/gcla-2025-0008

Author: Jens Fleischhauer

Institution: Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,712

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft