Light Verbs and Grammaticalization. Evidence From the Catalan Light Verb “Agafar”

Abstract

Determining the linguistic nature of light verbs – whether they are lexical or grammatical units – is still an open question. Light verbs are often characterised as delexicalized. Thus, grammaticalization would be the process by which a lexical verb (lexical unit) assumes the value of a light verb (grammatical unit). However, it has also been argued that light verbs are just regular verbs, albeit ones with little semantic specification. If they are, there can be no grammaticalization, at least in principle. Nevertheless, even if light verbs are considered lexical verbs, the way they evolve invite to relate them to grammaticalization processes. In this paper I contribute to the debate by providing evidence on the historical evolution of the Catalan verb agafar ‘to take, to catch, to pick, to get’. The conclusion is not firm, but suggests that the description of light verbs can benefit from the framework of grammaticalization.

Keywords

• aspect
• Catalan
• grammaticalization
• language change
• light verbs
• syntax