Light verb constructions with deverbal nouns BITE and SNACK in native English varieties: a corpus-based study

Abstract

This study investigates light verb constructions (LVCs) involving synonymous deverbal nouns, specifically focusing on the nouns bite and snack in five native varieties of English: American, British, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand. Previous research on LVCs with synonymous nouns is limited, and their usage across different English varieties has received little attention from linguists. The aim of the research is twofold: (1) to examine the usage of LVCs with bite and snack across the five English varieties, and (2) to identify distinguishing features of these synonymous nouns in LVCs. Data were sourced from the Corpus of Global Web-Based English, and the analysis explores the combinability of bite and snack with various light verbs, as well as the modification patterns associated with each noun. The study compares frequency, types, and semantic classes of modifiers, alongside the variety and frequency of light verbs used with each noun. Both light verbs and modifiers are analysed by their distribution across the five English varieties. The findings reveal significant syntactic and semantic differences between LVCs with bite and snack.  Snack combines with a broader range of light verbs than bite, and modifier patterns show that bite often implies a focus on the duration of eating, whereas snack is associated with meal size or timing. The study also highlights cross-variety differences, including the frequency and modification of LVCs, as well as preferences for light verbs and modifiers across English varieties. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of LVCs and their variation in native English varieties.