Lexicalization Patterns of Path Motion in Vietnamese

Abstract

This paper investigates how Vietnamese people express motion by using path verbs. This paper is based on the theory of lexicalization patterns, which is related to the conflation of semantic components into linguistic units. The data consists of expressions of motion verbs and spatial prepositions that were taken from twelve Vietnamese stories and three novels in the 20th century onward. The results of this paper present several lexicalization patterns of semantic components that become path verbs and spatial prepositions. Moreover, this paper clarifies construction grammar of lexical expressions of path motion in Vietnamese, which refers to speakers’ knowledge of motion utilized to express motion.