Construction Grammar and Latin: the case of habeo

Construction Grammar is a theoretical approach that emphasizes the importance of constructions, i.e. form-meaning pairs, in language. In Latin linguistics, the idea that language is constituted by constructions is not original, and various interesting studies have been published. This article focuses on the so-called light verbs constructions, with particular regard to the case of habeo. Its aims at putting forward the idea that the notion of light verb can be extended to all constructions where a verb being semantically ‘light’ is involved. This happens not only when it co-occurs with a noun in the accusative, but also when the noun is in another case or is the complement of a PP, as well as when the verb co-occurs with an adverb. Indeed, the same features characterize the union of a light verb with a second part, that is, the construction (V+X), in terms of (a) paradigmatic overlapping with other light verb constructions or other analytic verbs, (b) different degree of referentiality of the noun involved, if any, and (c) different concrete or abstract nature of the construction, which implies different degrees of integration between the two parts.