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Chapter 4. A constructional approach to causative support verbs in Spanish

  • María Isabel Jiménez Martínez and Chantal Melis
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Constructions in Spanish
This chapter is in the book Constructions in Spanish

Abstract

Complex predicates formed with a semantically bleached verb and a predicating nominal (take a walk) have posed a challenge to grammatical theories. One must explain how the two elements integrate into a semantic and syntactic unit, without losing sight of the lexical constraints the so-called support or light verb constructions are subjected to (*give a jog). In this work, centered on a family of Spanish phrases featuring an emotional state noun and associated with a causative meaning (cf. dar miedo ‘to frighten’, lit. ‘to give fear’), we adopt Goldberg’s (1995, 2006) analysis of “argument structure constructions”, introducing necessary adjustments to fit the composite nature of the predicate, and we show how Cognitive Construction Grammar offers a particularly well-suited model to handle linguistic expressions that combine regular syntactic properties with lexical idiosyncrasies.

Abstract

Complex predicates formed with a semantically bleached verb and a predicating nominal (take a walk) have posed a challenge to grammatical theories. One must explain how the two elements integrate into a semantic and syntactic unit, without losing sight of the lexical constraints the so-called support or light verb constructions are subjected to (*give a jog). In this work, centered on a family of Spanish phrases featuring an emotional state noun and associated with a causative meaning (cf. dar miedo ‘to frighten’, lit. ‘to give fear’), we adopt Goldberg’s (1995, 2006) analysis of “argument structure constructions”, introducing necessary adjustments to fit the composite nature of the predicate, and we show how Cognitive Construction Grammar offers a particularly well-suited model to handle linguistic expressions that combine regular syntactic properties with lexical idiosyncrasies.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Part 1. Introduction
  4. Chapter 1. Construction Grammar meets Hispanic linguistics 2
  5. Part 2. Comparative word-formation constructions
  6. Chapter 2. Collection nouns as a derivational category in Spanish 28
  7. Chapter 3. Lexical reduplication in Spanish and Italian 57
  8. Part 3. Phrase-level constructions
  9. Chapter 4. A constructional approach to causative support verbs in Spanish 78
  10. Chapter 5. From idioms to semi-schematic constructions and vice versa 103
  11. Chapter 6. The construction [ a TODO N sg ] in Spanish 129
  12. Part 4. Abstract and schematic constructions
  13. Chapter 7. On deconstructing mood 156
  14. Chapter 8. Quotative que constructions in Spanish 193
  15. Chapter 9. Que conste/sepas and como si constructions in Spanish 224
  16. Chapter 10. A constructional analysis of digo yo in peninsular Spanish 255
  17. Part 5. Extending the scope of constructionist research on Spanish
  18. Chapter 11. From he aquí to aquí está 280
  19. Chapter 12. On the role of verb-particle constructions in Old Spanish 309
  20. Chapter 13. What can collaboratively produced lists tell us about constructions? 340
  21. Chapter 14. Construction grammar and foreign language learning (L3) 375
  22. Subject index 405
  23. Construction index 408
https://doi.org/10.1075/cal.34.04jim

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Part 1. Introduction
  4. Chapter 1. Construction Grammar meets Hispanic linguistics 2
  5. Part 2. Comparative word-formation constructions
  6. Chapter 2. Collection nouns as a derivational category in Spanish 28
  7. Chapter 3. Lexical reduplication in Spanish and Italian 57
  8. Part 3. Phrase-level constructions
  9. Chapter 4. A constructional approach to causative support verbs in Spanish 78
  10. Chapter 5. From idioms to semi-schematic constructions and vice versa 103
  11. Chapter 6. The construction [ a TODO N sg ] in Spanish 129
  12. Part 4. Abstract and schematic constructions
  13. Chapter 7. On deconstructing mood 156
  14. Chapter 8. Quotative que constructions in Spanish 193
  15. Chapter 9. Que conste/sepas and como si constructions in Spanish 224
  16. Chapter 10. A constructional analysis of digo yo in peninsular Spanish 255
  17. Part 5. Extending the scope of constructionist research on Spanish
  18. Chapter 11. From he aquí to aquí está 280
  19. Chapter 12. On the role of verb-particle constructions in Old Spanish 309
  20. Chapter 13. What can collaboratively produced lists tell us about constructions? 340
  21. Chapter 14. Construction grammar and foreign language learning (L3) 375
  22. Subject index 405
  23. Construction index 408
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