What is a lexical verb?

Definition
	A lexical verb is a member of the open class of verbs which form the primary verb vocabulary of a language.

Discussion
	The adjective lexical is applied generally to the vocabulary of a language, especially to distinguish content words from function words.

Example (English)
	The verb come in will be coming is a lexical verb.

Generic
	A lexical verb is a kind of
	What is a verb? (Linguistics)

Sources
	Crystal 1985 326
	Mish 1991 687
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 96

Context for this page:

Concept module: lexical verb
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): L
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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