Phraseologie und Valenztheorie

Abstract Based on previous research results, the following paper gives an overview of the possibilities of transferring the valence theory to verbal phraseologisms. Verbal phraseologisms display internal and external ‘blank positions’ which can’t be differentiated strictly dichotomically. Moreover, there are certain interferences or transitions between both valence levels. To fulfill a wide phraseology concept, the analysis focuses not only on the verbal idioms, but, furthermore, on the valence of light-verb constructions. Relating to the theoretical status of the valence of these constructions, there exist partially controversial discussions in the latest research which will be illustrated below. Problems of describing these phenomena from a lexicographical perspective will be elaborated in the following. As a last point, a specific phenomenon will be approached that can be classified into the ‘phraseological irregularities’; the so-called ‘valence irregularities’. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that a satisfying description of the valence of phraseologisms can only be accomplished with the help of a corpus-based approach.