Light Verb just as a Little v*

Abstract

In this paper I argue that the light verb ha in Korean is an overt realization of the v head. Ha/ci alternation in Korean psych verbs makes a strong case for DO/BECOME meanings of v, whose semantic contribution is undetermined and contextualized in English. For Korean, the absence of the class of English type denominal verbs is morphological evidence for this view. This study of Korean light verb constructions clarifies Harley's (1995, 1999) suggestion that recognizing the complements of v (V/P) as a predicative structure denoting events, things, or states helps to contextualize the interpretation of little v along with its determining environments. But the argument that no lexical content for v need be posited is challenged in Korean light verb ha.