The research within the UGent Contragram research group (now : GLIMS) focuses on the relation between grammatical structure and meaning in Dutch, French and English from a contrastive and corpus-based perspective.. Specific areas of interest include the interrelatedness between the syntax and semantics of verb classes and the way they can be arranged into corpus-based typologies. This project focuses on the behavior of (ditransitive) verbs and the relationship between lexical semantics and constructional possibilities and frequencies from a contrastive, synchronic and diachronic point of view. Starting from the general proposition within (Goldbergian) construction grammar that constructions themselves also carry meaning, we look for the meaning of those constructions and for an explanation for the (in)compatibility or preferences of certain verbs and verb types for certain constructions. For example, research was conducted into the double object construction of the English Verbs of Instrument of Communication such as to telephone, to fax, to skype, etc. and their French equivalent (Verroens et al. 2010; B. De Clerck et al. 2011).
For further information on this project, please read Meaning in-between Structure and the Lexicon.
http://www.contragram.ugent.be/node/4