Properties of Phrasal Verbs Consisting of “Verb

Properties of Phrasal Verbs Consisting of “Verb + Preposition”

― Based on the Origin of the Verb and the Number of Syllables ― Masaaki KAMIYA*

Abstract

This study examines phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition,” which are different in origin and development from “verb + adverbial particle.” All phrasal verbs have been extracted from the Oxford PHRASAL VERBS Dictionary for learners of English 2006. This study also discusses the properties of phrasal verbs consisting of “verb and preposition,” and proposes a new classification based on the origin of the verb (verbs of Germanic origin and verbs of French origin) and the number of syllables. Key Words: Phrasal verb, Verb of Germanic origin, Verb of French origin, Syllable, Preposition Preface A phrasal verb is a colloquial idiomatic expression that can express various meanings by a combination of “verb + adverbial particle,” “verb + preposition,” and “verb + adverbial particle + preposition.” Phrasal verbs are used in present-day English. From the viewpoint of development of phrasal verbs, two processes can be considered. One is the development of prefixed verbs in Old English into phrasal verbs in Middle English; the adverbial particle or separable prefix is moved after its verb, so a new phrasal verb is formed (e.g., upgan → go up). The other is the development of polysyllabic French verb into “basic English verb + adverbial particle” (e.g., ex-tinguish → put out). The above two processes represent the origin and development of phrasal verbs consisting mainly of “verb + adverbial particle.” From the viewpoint of the word origin, such phrasal verbs consist of “monosyllabic (one-syllable) verb + adverbial particle of Germanic origin.” The processes are shown in Kamiya (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.a, 2018.b).

This study examines phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition,” which are different in origin and development from “verb + adverbial particle,” and all of these phrasal verbs have been extracted from the Oxford PHRASAL VERBS Dictionary for learners of English 2006 (henceforth OPV). This study also discusses the properties of phrasal verbs consisting of “verb and preposition,” focusing on the origin of the verb and the number of syllables of the verb, and proposes a new classification. 1. Phrasal verb and its corresponding technical terms

“Phrasal verb” is a technical term that Smith, L.P. used in Words and Idioms in 1925, but it has also been called by various names such as a “group verb (1892: Sweet, H.),” “verb-adverb combination (1920: Kennedy, A.G.),” and “verbal combination (1965: Palmer, F.R.).”1) According to the classification by Palmer, F. R. (1965), there are four types of phrasal verbs: ____________________________________________________________________________________ *Professor（Department of General Education）

豊田工業高等学校研究紀要　第52号　2020 (令和元年度)

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(1) Prepositional verbs He looked after his old father.

(2) Phrasal verbs without object The enemy finally gave in.

(3) Phrasal verbs with object Put up a candidate.

(4) Phrasal prepositional verbs I can’t put up with that woman.

The examples in (1), (2), (3), and (4) above are different from the following combinations denoted by (1’), (2’), (3’), and (4’), which have literal meanings. In the combinations denoted by (1),(2),(3), and (4), it is difficult for the learners to deduce the whole meaning from the meaning of each word (verb, adverbial particle, preposition). Therefore, English learners learn phrasal verbs as idioms. (1’) I didn’t go to London. (2’) The guests came in. (3’) He sent up the balloon. (4’) She walked up with her brother to visit us. Subcategories of Phrasal verbs

Quirk et al. (1972) classified phrasal verbs into three subcategories (developmental stages) in

terms of whether the whole meaning can be inferred from the meaning of each word. [1], [2], and [3] below are the examples of “verb + adverbial particle.” [1] Free, non-idiomatic construction

Who’ll be the next climber to go up? Both the verb and adverbial particle have a literal meaning. Up represents the original or literal meaning, that is, upward movement. [2] Semi-idiomatic construction（半イディオム構文 2））

Children, drink up (down) your milk. The verb drink has a literal meaning, and the adverbial particle Up (or down) has a metaphorical or figurative meaning such as “completion / intensity.” [3] Highly idiomatic construction （イディオム構文）

It’s hard to give up the drinking habit without help. (give up → quit) The meanings of the verb give and adverbial particle up cannot be inferred from the original meaning of each word. A combination of “verb + adverbial particle” creates a new meaning called an idiomatic expression. The semantic unity of phrasal verbs can often be replaced with a single-word verb, such as quit for give up.

In particular, [2] and [3] are often called phrasal verbs. It is customary not to treat the combination of “verb + adverbial particle,” “verb + preposition,” and “verb + adverbial particle +


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preposition” that only have a literal meaning as phrasal verbs. However, many combinations of “verb and adverbial particle” have semi-idiomatic or highly idiomatic meanings as well as literal meanings.

On the other hand, the combination of “verb + preposition” is mainly limited to the literal meaning and a highly idiomatic meaning.3) Constructions with prepositions rarely have metaphorical or figurative meanings such as “completion / intensity.” Given below is an example of run into consisting of “verb + preposition.” This construction has either a literal meaning or highly idiomatic meaning, so it does not represent a semi-idiomatic construction. In this study, we treat such a combination of “verb + preposition” as a phrasal verb. Although go up in [1] is a free, non-idiomatic construction, it is treated as a phrasal verb because it becomes a highly idiomatic construction as in “A chemical factory went up in the North of England.” The development of the three subcategories depends on each phrasal verb.

Free, non-idiomatic construction It is still raining hard, run into the house.

Highly idiomatic construction

She ran into an old man. run into = to meet by chance 2. How to handle phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition”

Phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition” generally have a preposition followed by a prepositional object, as in (1). In Longman Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs (henceforth Longman), as in (2), the combination with the direct object is also treated as a phrasal verb consisting of “verb + preposition.” However, many examples with a direct object in the combination have literal meanings. The verb cut in (2) is a transitive verb because it directly involves the object the cake. In Japanese schools, we teach “intransitive verb + preposition” as a phrasal verb, which becomes an idiom, such as cut into in (1). We do not teach “transitive verb + direct object + preposition,” which has the literal meaning, as a phrasal verb. The combinations such as “intransitive + preposition” cut into, which becomes an idiom, do not take an object between the verb and the preposition. In this case, cut into is treated as one word and has a transitive usage (cf. the following (3) and (3')). (1) [intransitive verb + preposition + prepositional object] The children cut into the conversation with demands for attention. (Longman) （idiomatic meaning）

(2) [transitive verb + direct object + preposition + prepositional object] Cut the cake into quarters and share it equally. (Longman)（literal meaning）

“Verb + preposition” from the viewpoint of five sentence patterns

(examples are cited from OPV) Although go over in (3) is treated as an example of the first sentence pattern (the verb is

intransitive) in school grammar (traditional grammar), in this case, go over has a figurative meaning, that is, “checking.” So, go over as in (4) can be replaced by the single verb, check. Since it


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is a transitive usage, it is necessary to distinguish its meaning from the literal meaning of go over in (5). As go over in (3) is an idiomatic expression, it can be treated as a single verb. It is necessary to teach that it can be classified into the third sentence pattern as in (3'). (3) I’ll go over the figures again to make sure they’re right. [first sentence pattern (S + V)] S V (figurative)

(3’) I’ll go over the figures again to make sure they’re right. [third sentence pattern (S + V + O)] S V O (figurative) (4) I’ll check the figures again to make sure they’re right.

S V O (5) We were shaken as the car went over the bumps in the road. [first sentence pattern (S + V)] S V (literal) 3. Phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition”: from the perspective of the origin of the verb and the number of syllables

Phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition” were manually extracted from the OPV. The number of verbs that form a phrasal verb consisting of “verb + preposition” is 577. The origin of verbs, the number of syllables, and the frequency of verbs were examined. The results were put into an Excel document. Then, the Excel tables were rearranged with the origin of the verb as the first priority (the number of syllables and the frequency of verbs being the second and third, respectively). See the Appendix for details. Research Results [1] Percentage of the verbs of Germanic origin and the verbs of French origin

The number of verbs forming phrasal verbs (verb + preposition) is 577 ;238 are verbs of Germanic origin, 244 are verbs of French origin, and 95 are verbs of unknown origin (including onomatopoeic verbs). Their percentages are 41.2%, 42.3%, and 16.5%, respectively. The proportion of the verbs of Germanic origin and that of the verbs of French origin are almost the same.

In the case of phrasal verbs consisting of “verb and adverbial particle,” the percentage of verbs of Germanic origin is higher.4) The phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + adverbial particle” originate from a prefixed verb in Old English and are mass-produced through the development of polysyllabic French verb into “basic English verb + adverbial particle.” Naturally, the proportion of verbs of German origin becomes much higher. However, since the phrasal verb consisting of “verb + preposition” is not directly connected to the prefixed verb of old English, the proportion of “verb of French origin + preposition” is high. [2] Combining verbs of Germanic origin with more prepositions

Seven verbs (except be-verb), such as get, come, go, look, and run, combine with seven or more prepositions to form phrasal verbs.


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(1)get about, across, after, around, at, behind, beyond, into, off, on, onto, over, round, around, through, to, up, with

(2)come across, after, around, at, before, between, by, down, for, from, into, of, off, on (upon), over, past, round, through, to, under, up, with (3)fall behind, for, into, off, on, over, to, under (4)work against, around, at, off, on, through, toward (5)go about, across, against, along, around, at, before, beyond, by, down, for, into, off, on, over, through, to, toward, under, up, with (6)look after, around, at, for, into, on (upon), over, through, to (7)run across, after, around, at, down, into, off, on, over, through, to, with

On the other hand, the verbs move and pass are the only verbs of French origin that can be combined with seven or more prepositions. (1)move along, around (round), down, into, off, over, past, toward (2)pass between, by, for, into, over, through, to Many of the verbs combined with different prepositions represent “movement,” except look and

work. [3] The number of syllables

With regard to the number of syllables of verbs, there are 369 one-syllable verbs, 185 two-syllable verbs, 18 three-syllable verbs, and 5 four-syllable verbs. One-syllable verbs account for about 64% of the total. Of the three-syllable verbs, 16 verbs are of French origin. All the 5 verbs with four-syllables are of French origin.

Phrasal verbs consisting of “three-syllable verb of French origin + preposition” (1) disagree with (2) minister to (3) surrender to (4) substitute for (5) calculate on (6) concentrate on (7) contribute to (8) deliver on (9) interfere with (10) testify to (11)resonate with (12) culminate in (13) masquerade as (14) appertain to (15) gravitate to, toward (s) (16) militate against

Phrasal verbs consisting of “four-syllable verb of French origin + preposition” (1) associate with (2) elaborate on (upon) (3) identify with (4) capitalize on (5) luxuriate in [4] Figurative meanings of preposition (semi-idiomatic construction)

The adverbial particles of phrasal verbs have figurative meanings, such as “completion / intensity” and “continuation,” as well as literal meanings. Prepositions such as on, down, off, out, and up are difficult to have figurative meanings, so they are used in their original meanings. It can be said that in phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition,” the metaphorical extension of the meaning


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of preposition (semi-idiomatic) such as “completion / intensity” or “continuity” is less than that of adverbial particle.

Generally, adverbial particles modify verbs, so they have the figurative meanings of “completion / intensity” and “continuation” of the action represented by the verb. Prepositions are linked not to verbs but to prepositional objects that come after prepositions, and indicate “position, starting point, arrival point, direction of movement" etc., which represent their literal meanings. Therefore, the metaphorical extension of the meaning cannot be applied to prepositions.

Main adverbial particle representing “completion / intensity”：down, off, out, up Main adverbial particle representing “continuation”：on, away

Adverbial particle on：figurative meaning “continuation”: How she does go on! Preposition on：literal meaning “resting on something”： The children want to go on the wooden horses.

(cited from『研究社-ロングマン句動詞英和辞典』) Preposition on : figurative meaning “continuation” beat on sth

American informal to hurt someone by hitting them a lot of times According to the witness, the police ran up and started beating on him. （cited from Macmillan Phrasal Verbs Plus 2005）

Although it is possible to regard on in beat on as a preposition representing “continuation,” the verb beat itself contains the meaning of “repeatedly.” So, the preposition on here can also be considered to have the literal meaning of “contact or resting on something.” A phrasal verb with the same meaning is beat up on. Up is an adverbial particle representing “intensity,” and on is a preposition representing “contact or resting on something.” Further research is needed to find whether there is an example in which the preposition on clearly represents “continuation.” 4. A New Classification; Examples of Phrasal Verbs consisting of "verb + preposition"

The following examples are listed based on the origin of the verb (verbs of Germanic origin and verbs of French origin) and the number of syllables. This is a new classification that this study proposes. The phrasal verbs in these examples are not used with their literal meanings. They are treated as highly idiomatic constructions that make it difficult for the learners to deduce the whole meaning from the meaning of each word (verb and preposition). All these examples are cited from OPV. Monosyllabic verbs of Germanic origin (1) Get on the phone (to them) and tell them you can’t come. (2) She came across a pile of old photographs while she was clearing the attic. (3) The children fell on the food with cries of delight. (4) I think she’s going off me.


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(5) We’re looking into the possibility of moving to France. Two-syllable verbs of Germanic origin (1) She has a lot to answer for. (2) What will become of us if I lose my job? (3) Do you believe in ghosts? (4) These things belong to the past. (5) She hungers after wealth and prestige. Monosyllabic verbs of French origin (1) Can I stay off school today? (2) He touched on the need for increased funding. (3) I’m really banking on you to help me. (4) I chanced on an old school friend in town. (5) The families of victims are crying for justice. Two-syllable verbs of French origin (1) Many companies are suffering from a shortage of skilled staff. (2) Car crime accounted for 28% of all reported offences. (3) Several children complained of severe stomach pains. (4) I’ve finished with Antonia. (5) She reports directly to the chief executive. Three-syllable verbs of French origin (1) In this lecture, I shall concentrate on the early years of Charles’s reign. (2) We don’t want to interfere with your plans. (3) He disagreed with his parents on most things. (4) Can he be trusted to deliver on his promises? (5) She surrendered to Leo’s charm.

Since many three-syllable verbs have a clear literal meaning, they rarely become idioms (have a

figurative meaning) even if they are combined with prepositions. If the literal meaning of the verb is understood, the meaning of “verb + preposition” together can be analogized. Therefore, it can be said that many phrasal verbs of “three or four-syllable verb of French origin + preposition” are close to free, non-idiomatic constructions. Concluding Remarks (1) The number of phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition” is 577, and the proportions of the verbs of Germanic origin (41.2%) and the verbs of French origin (42.3%) are almost the same. The phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition” are not directly connected to the prefixed verb in Old English and the process of replacing the prefixed verb of French origin with “verb + adverbial particle.” It can be said that compared to phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + adverbial particle,” the prepositions of phrasal verbs are more likely to be combined with verbs of French origin.


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(2) The verbs of Germanic origin tend to combine with more prepositions than do the verbs of French origin. The seven verbs get, come, fall, work, go, look, and run combine with seven or more prepositions to form a phrasal verb. On the other hand, the only verbs of French origin that combine with seven or more prepositions are move and pass. Many of the verbs combined with prepositions are those that show “movement,” except look and work. (3) With regard to the number of syllables of verbs, there are 369 one-syllable verbs, 185 two-syllable verbs, 18 three-syllable verbs, and 5 four-syllable verbs. One-syllable verbs account for about 64% of the total. 16 of 18 three-syllable verbs are of French origin. All of the four-syllable verbs are of French origin.

Germanic origin238 verbs; 41.2%

French origin 244 verbs; 42.3%

Unknown origin95 verbs; 16.5%

ORIGIN OF THE VERB577 VERBS

one-syllable

369 verbs; 63.9%

two-syllable 185 verbs; 32.1%

three-syllable18 verbs; 3.1%

four-syllable

5 verbs; 0.9%

577 VERBS


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The following table represents a new classification based on the origin of the verb and the number of syllables. The verbs of Germanic origin are overwhelmingly of one syllable. The three- or four-syllable verbs are overwhelmingly of French origin. New Classification Verbs of Germanic origin words

Monosyllabic verb of Germanic origin + Preposition 201 Two-syllable verb of Germanic origin + Preposition 36 Three-syllable verb of Germanic origin + Preposition 1 Four-syllable verb of Germanic origin + Preposition 0

Total 238 Verbs of French origin words

Monosyllabic verb of French origin + Preposition 88 Two-syllable verb of French origin + Preposition 135 Three-syllable verb of French origin + Preposition 16 Four-syllable verb of French origin + Preposition 5

Total 244 (4) In phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition,” prepositions do not have figurative meanings such as “completion / intense” or “continuation,” compared to adverbial particles of “verb + adverbial particle.” The reason is that the adverbial particle modifies the verb, so it has the meaning of “completion / intensity” and “continuation” of the action represented by the verb. However, the preposition does not modify the verb, it modifies the prepositional object that comes after the preposition. The preposition shows “position, starting point, arrival point, direction of movement, etc.,” and the literal meaning is retained.

In a future study, we would examine the phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition” from the perspective of French “calque” and examine the development of the following three subcategories.

[1] Free, non-idiomatic construction: A phrasal verb consisting of “verb + preposition” where both verb and preposition have original or literal meanings. [2] Semi-idiomatic construction: A phrasal verb consisting of “verb + preposition” where the verb has a literal meaning and the preposition has a figurative meaning. [3] Highly idiomatic construction: A phrasal verb in which both verb and preposition lose their literal meanings, and “verb + preposition” has a highly idiomatic meaning as a semantic unit.

Furthermore, phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition,” which are classified as highly idiomatic construction, will be described as idioms in the English-Japanese dictionary.


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◆This paper was written with the support of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research C (General) of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. [Title:Basic Research on Phrasal Verbs Consisting of “Verb + Preposition” and Its New Classification] (FY 2019, No. 19K00678)

Principal Investigator: KAMIYA, Masaaki Contact address: [email protected]

(Professor at National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Toyota College) Co-Investigator (kenkyu-kyouryokusha): TAKAHASHI, Kaoru

(Professor at Tokyo University of Science） Notes 1) Phrasal verb’s corresponding technical terms group verb (1892: Sweet, H.) verb-adverb combination (1920: Kennedy, A.G.) phrasal verb (1925: Smith, L.P.) merged verb (1933: Aiken, J.R.) two-word verb (1953:Anthony, E.M.) verb-particle construction (1964:Fraser, J.B) verbal combination (1965: Palmer, F.R.) verb-particle combination (1972: Quirk, R. et al.) etc.

In foreign textbooks, dictionaries (Collins, MACMILLAN, Oxford, CAMBRIDGE, etc.), the term “phrasal verb” is commonly used, but in Japanese school grammar, especially textbooks and reference books, the term “group verb” is commonly used. In addition, in the Courses of Study edited by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the lexical bundles such as phrasal verbs are called “Rengo 連語” in Japanese, which corresponds to “collocation” in English.

(イ) 連語及び慣用表現のうち、運用度の高いもの「連語」とは，二つ以上の語が結び付いて，あるまとまった意味を表すものを指している．中学校

学習指導要領で例示されているのは，「in front of，a lot of，get up，look for など」である．また「慣

用表現」とは，ある特定の場面で用いる定型表現を指している．中学校学習指導要領で例示されているのは，「excuse me，I see，I'm sorry，thank you，you're welcome，for example など」である．

『文部科学省高等学校学習指導要領解説外国語編（英語編）』2009 年 p.38-39．

English translation version C. Words, collocations, and common expressions (a) Approximately 1,200 words (b) Collocations such as “in front of,” “a lot of,” “get up,” “look for,” etc. (c) Common expressions such as “excuse me,” “I see,” “I’m sorry,” “thank you,” “you’re welcome,” “for example,” etc.

Courses of Study Lower Secondary School Foreign Languages p.5 http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/17/1303755_013.pdf


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Why is the term “phrasal verb” not generalized in English education in Japan? The reason is that the term “phrasal verb” is likely to be confused with the term “verb phrase.” In addition, MEXT's “collocation” is not a proper term for explaining a “phrasal verb,” because “collocation” has many usages (e.g., in front of, a lot of as well as get up, look for). In light of world standards, we expect the term “phrasal verb” to be commonly used. (Kamiya 2014) 2) Japanese terms “半イディオム構文” (semi-idiomatic construction), “イディオム構文” (highly idiomatic construction) are Kamiya’s own(1988). 3) Kamiya (2018.b) shows 23 examples in which the one-word verb of French origin is replaced with “verb + preposition.”

The 16 verbs of 122 prefixed verbs of French origin are replaced with “verb + preposition” as follows:

(1) address deal with (2) admire marvel at (3) attack set on turn on (4) consult refer to (5) demand call for (6) experience go through run into (7) explain account for (8) annoy get to (9) imply hint at (10) enjoy delight in (11) persuade talk into (12) represent stand for (13) request ask for (14) require call for (15) resemble take after (16) survive come through, pull through

Only one verb of 19 one-syllable verbs of French origin is replaced with “verb + preposition.” (1) chase run after

The six verbs of 27 polysyllabic verbs of French origin that do not contain a prefix are replaced

with “verb + preposition.” (1) criticize get at (2) examine look at (3) mention touch on (4) participate join in (5) pressurize lean on (6) ridicule laugh at

4) In Kamiya (2018.b), 72% of one-word verbs of French origin have been replaced with phrasal verbs consisting of “verb of Germanic origin + adverbial particle (rarely preposition).” References (1) 東信行・諏訪部仁（訳編）(1994)『研究社・ロングマン句動詞英和辞典』研究社． (2) 安藤貞夫（訳注）(1972）F.R.パーマー著『英語動詞の言語学的研究』大修館. (3) 井上永幸・赤野一郎（編）(2013)『ウィズダム英和辞典』第 3 版三省堂. (4) KAMIYA Masaaki（神谷昌明）(1988）「句動詞の半イディオム構文について」『中部地区英語教育

学会紀要』18，49-54. (5) KAMIYA Masaaki（神谷昌明）(2014)「句動詞のルーツを考える～そして英語教育へ～」愛知教育

大学英語英文学会『会報』第 20 号 pp.21-24.


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(6) KAMIYA Masaaki（神谷昌明） (2016) 「句動詞の起源・発達― 現代英語に現れる接頭辞(up-, out-)付動詞と句動詞 ―」『豊田工業高等専門学校研究紀要』 Vol.49. DOI https://doi.org/10.20692/toyotakosenkiyo.12

(7) KAMIYA Masaaki（神谷昌明）(2017) 「句動詞の起源・発達 ―中英語に現れる接頭辞(up-, out-)付動詞―」『豊田工業高等専門学校研究紀要』Vol.50. DOI https://doi.org/10.20692/toyotakosenkiyo.50-11

(8) KAMIYA Masaaki（神谷昌明）(2018.a)「句動詞指導に必要な基礎知識---句動詞（主に動詞+副詞）

の起源・発達に焦点を合わせて---」『全国高等専門学校英語教育学会研究論集』 37. 1-10. (9) KAMIYA Masaaki（神谷昌明）(2018.b)「フランス語源動詞に対応する句動詞：フランス語源接頭

辞付動詞+副詞辞で句動詞を形成するか」『豊田工業高等専門学校研究紀要』Vol.51. (10) 小西友七 (1982)「特集：英文法のトピック成句動詞」『月刊言語』12 月号. (11) 嶋田裕司 (1985)『句動詞』大修館． (1) Courtney, Rosemary (1983) Longman Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, Longman Group Limited. (2) KAMIYA, Masaaki (2015) “The Origin and Development of Phrasal Verbs―The Database of

Prefixed Verbs with up- and out- in Old English―”, Journal of National Institute of Technology, Toyota College. Vol. 48. DOI https://doi.org/10.20692/toyotakosenkiyo.KJ00010158369

(3) Macmillan Phrasal Verbs Plus (2005). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. (4) Oxford PHRASAL VERBS Dictionary for learners of English (2006). Oxford University Press. (5) Palmer, F.R. (1965) A linguistic study of the English verb. London: Longman. (6) Quirk, R. et al. (1972) A Grammar of Contemporary English. London: Longman. APPENDIX

Phrasal verbs consisting of “verb + preposition” shown in the Oxford PHRASAL VERBS Dictionary for learners of English.

Verbs of Germanic origin: 238, Verbs of French origin: 244 Verbs of unknown origin: 95 (including onomatopoeic verbs)

Verb’s Origin

Verbs of Germanic origin：Old English(OE), Middle English(ME), Old Norse(ON), Middle Dutch((M)Du), Middle Low German(MLG)

Verbs of French origin：French(F), Old French((O)F), Latin(L), Anglo-French(AF),

Old Norman French(ONF) Unknown origin (including onomatopoeic verbs) The number of syllables For the number of syllables of verbs, the Wisdom English-Japanese Dictionary 3rd edition was

referred to.


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Verb frequency For the frequency of verbs, the frequency shown in the Wisdom English-Japanese Dictionary 3rd

edition was used. The frequency table below represents the frequency of the verb, and not the frequency of the phrasal verb.

A level *** about 1300 words junior high school-level vocabulary B level ** about 2500 words high school-level vocabulary C level * about 3800 words college-level vocabulary D level † about 8100 words advanced-level vocabulary E level unmarked about 58300 words other than the above

How to Read Tables The origin of the verb 1 → Germanic origin， 2 → French origin，

3 → Unknown origin（including onomatopoeic verb） The number of syllables 1 → one-syllable， 2 → two-syllable， 3 → three-syllable，

4 → four-syllable

Verb frequency 1 → A level， 2 → B level， 3 → C level， 4 → D level， 5 → E level

Verbs of Germanic Origin 238 words Verb of Germanic Origin + Preposition V origin Syllables Frequency 1 beat on 1 1 1 2 trade on 1 1 1 3 get about, across, after, around(round), at,

behind, beyond, into, off, on, onto, over, through, to, up, with

1 1 1

4 skirt around 1 1 1 5 take after, against, to 1 1 1 6 want for 1 1 1 7 ask after, for 1 1 1 8 back off, onto 1 1 1 9 be after, at, behind, into, off, on(upon), onto,

over 1 1 1

10 bear on (upon), with 1 1 1 11 bite at, into 1 1 1 12 blow into 1 1 1 13 book into 1 1 1 14 break into, through, with 1 1 1 15 build on 1 1 1 16 buy into 1 1 1 17 call around, for, on 1 1 1 18 care for 1 1 1


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19 come across, after, around, at, before, between, by, down, for, from, into, of, off, on (upon), over, past, round, through, to, under, up, with

1 1 1

20 crowd into, round 1 1 1 21 cut across, into, through 1 1 1 22 deal in, with 1 1 1 23 die for 1 1 1 24 dig into 1 1 1 25 do for, with 1 1 1 26 draw into, on 1 1 1 27 dream of 1 1 1 28 drink to 1 1 1 29 drive at 1 1 1 30 drop behind, into 1 1 1 31 eat into 1 1 1 32 end in 1 1 1 33 fall behind, for, into, off, on, over, to, under 1 1 1 34 fear for 1 1 1 35 feel for 1 1 1 36 find against, for 1 1 1 37 fish for 1 1 1 38 fly around, at, in, into 1 1 1 39 give of, onto 1 1 1 40 go about, across, against, along, around, at,

before, beyond, by, down, for, into, off, on, over, through, to, towards, under, up, with

1 1 1

41 grow into, on 1 1 1 42 hang around, on, onto over, with 1 1 1 43 head for, towards 1 1 1 44 hear about, from, of 1 1 1 45 hit on 1 1 1 46 hold on, onto, to, with 1 1 1 47 keep after, at, from, off, on, to 1 1 1 48 knock off 1 1 1 49 know of 1 1 1 50 land in, on 1 1 1 51 laugh at 1 1 1 52 lead into, off, to 1 1 1 53 leaf through 1 1 1 54 learn of 1 1 1 55 lie around, before, behind, with 1 1 1 56 live by, for, off, on, through, with 1 1 1 57 look after, around, at, for, into, on (upon),

over, through, to 1 1 1

58 make for, towards, with 1 1 1 59 meet with 1 1 1 60 moon about, around, over 1 1 1 61 play at, on, with 1 1 1 62 pull at, for, into, on, through 1 1 1


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63 put into 1 1 1 64 rest on, with 1 1 1 65 ride on 1 1 1 66 ring around (round) 1 1 1 67 rise above, to 1 1 1 68 run across, after, around, at, down, into, off,

on, over, through, to, with 1 1 1

69 see over, round, through, to 1 1 1 70 send for 1 1 1 71 set about, on, upon 1 1 1 72 shake on 1 1 1 73 show through 1 1 1 74 side with 1 1 1 75 sit around, for, on, over, through 1 1 1 76 sleep on, through, with 1 1 1 77 speak for, of 1 1 1 78 spring for, from 1 1 1 79 stamp on 1 1 1 80 stand between, by, for, over 1 1 1 81 start for, on 1 1 1 82 step on it 1 1 1 83 stop around, by 1 1 1 84 tell against, of, on 1 1 1 85 think about, for, of 1 1 1 86 turn against, into, off, on, to 1 1 1 87 walk into, off, over, through 1 1 1 88 warm to 1 1 1 89 wash over 1 1 1 90 watch for, over 1 1 1 91 work against, around, at, off, on, through,

toward 1 1 1

92 split on 1 1 2 93 plug for, into 1 1 2 94 ache for 1 1 2 95 slip into, out, through 1 1 2 96 trust in, to 1 1 2 97 swear by, off, to 1 1 2 98 sweat over 1 1 2 99 swing at 1 1 2 100 bend over 1 1 2 101 bet on 1 1 2 102 blend into 1 1 2 103 burst into, on (onto), through 1 1 2 104 cheat on 1 1 2 105 check into, on, through 1 1 2 106 crawl with 1 1 2 107 creep over 1 1 2 108 dash against 1 1 2 109 dip into 1 1 2 110 dive into 1 1 2


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111 feed into, on, off 1 1 2 112 flood into, over, through 1 1 2 113 flow from 1 1 2 114 hunt for 1 1 2 115 key into, on 1 1 2 116 lay about, into, off 1 1 2 117 lean against, on, towards 1 1 2 118 leap at, on 1 1 2 119 lock onto 1 1 2 120 melt into 1 1 2 121 mouse over 1 1 2 122 pack into 1 1 2 123 pitch into 1 1 2 124 rat on 1 1 2 125 sail through 1 1 2 126 score off 1 1 2 127 shade into 1 1 2 128 shoot for 1 1 2 129 shrink from 1 1 2 130 sink into 1 1 2 131 spill over 1 1 2 132 stare at 1 1 2 133 starve for 1 1 2 134 steal over 1 1 2 135 stem from 1 1 2 136 stick at, by, to, with 1 1 2 137 strike at 1 1 2 138 tap into 1 1 2 139 tear at, into 1 1 2 140 thumb through 1 1 2 141 tool around 1 1 2 142 weigh against, on 1 1 2 143 yield to 1 1 2 144 snack on 1 1 3 145 poke about (around) 1 1 3 146 tuck into 1 1 3 147 harsh on 1 1 3 148 scrape into, through 1 1 3 149 thrive on 1 1 3 150 bang into 1 1 3 151 bow to 1 1 3 152 chew on 1 1 3 153 claw at 1 1 3 154 cling to 1 1 3 155 clutch at 1 1 3 156 dawn on 1 1 3 157 dwell on 1 1 3 158 grab at 1 1 3 159 grope for, towards 1 1 3


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160 hack into 1 1 3 161 hail from 1 1 3 162 harp on 1 1 3 163 hinge on 1 1 3 164 long for 1 1 3 165 plough into, through 1 1 3 166 pluck at 1 1 3 167 rake over, through 1 1 3 168 soak into 1 1 3 169 stoop to 1 1 3 170 swan about (around) 1 1 3 171 swarm with 1 1 3 172 thirst for 1 1 3 173 thrill to 1 1 3 174 tire of 1 1 3 175 wade into, through 1 1 3 176 wink at 1 1 3 177 plump for 1 1 4 178 prod at 1 1 4 179 jab at 1 1 4 180 bask in 1 1 4 181 baulk at 1 1 4 182 bore into 1 1 4 183 buck for 1 1 4 184 cram into 1 1 4 185 delve into 1 1 4 186 hark at 1 1 4 187 hew to 1 1 4 188 itch for 1 1 4 189 latch on, onto 1 1 4 190 lust after, for 1 1 4 191 ooze from, through 1 1 4 192 pine for 1 1 4 193 reek of 1 1 4 194 sift through 1 1 4 195 smack of 1 1 4 196 teem with 1 1 4 197 yearn for 1 1 4 198 gnaw at 1 1 4 199 ding into 1 1 5 200 light on (upon) 1 1 5 201 root around, through, for 1 1 5 202 answer for, to 1 2 1 203 become of 1 2 1 204 believe in 1 2 1 205 happen on (upon) 1 2 1 206 listen for, to 1 2 1 207 open into, onto, off 1 2 1 208 worry at 1 2 1


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209 awake to 1 2 2 210 belong to 1 2 2 211 gather around 1 2 2 212 hunger after, for 1 2 2 213 settle to, for, into, on 1 2 2 214 shower on 1 2 2 215 wander from, off 1 2 2 216 wonder at 1 2 2 217 jockey for 1 2 3 218 blunder around, into 1 2 3 219 cluster around 1 2 3 220 fasten on (onto) 1 2 3 221 flutter around 1 2 3 222 gamble on 1 2 3 223 rattle around, through 1 2 3 224 reckon on, with, without 1 2 3 225 stumble across, on (upon), into 1 2 3 226 tumble to 1 2 3 227 weary of 1 2 3 228 wrestle with 1 2 3 229 dabble in 1 2 4 230 alight on (upon) 1 2 4 231 abide by 1 2 4 232 angle for 1 2 4 233 bristle with 1 2 4 234 potter about, around 1 2 4 235 sicken for 1 2 4 236 wallow in 1 2 4 237 scrabble at 1 2 5 238 awaken to 1 3 3

Verbs of French origin 244 words

Verb of French Origin + Preposition V origin Syllables Frequency 1 push by, past, for, through, towards 2 1 1 2 try for 2 1 1 3 move along, around (round), down, into, off,

over, past, towards 2 1 1

4 round on 2 1 1 5 save on 2 1 1 6 stay off, with 2 1 1 7 vote on 2 1 1 8 act as, for, on (upon) 2 1 1 9 test for 2 1 1 10 touch on (upon) 2 1 1 11 wait for, on 2 1 1 12 bank on 2 1 1 13 catch at 2 1 1 14 chance on (upon) 2 1 1


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15 change into 2 1 1 16 close on 2 1 1 17 count against, among, towards, on 2 1 1 18 cry for, off 2 1 1 19 date from 2 1 1 20 face onto 2 1 1 21 fix on 2 1 1 22 front for, onto 2 1 1 23 join in, with 2 1 1 24 level with 2 1 1 25 page through 2 1 1 26 paint over 2 1 1 27 part with 2 1 1 28 pass between, by, for, into, over, through, to 2 1 1 29 pay for 2 1 1 30 phone around (round) 2 1 1 31 plan on 2 1 1 32 point at, to 2 1 1 33 press for 2 1 1 34 sign for 2 1 1 35 sort through 2 1 1 36 trip over 2 1 1 37 launch into 2 1 2 38 rush into 2 1 2 39 ease into 2 1 2 40 aim at 2 1 2 41 quit on 2 1 2 42 march on, past 2 1 2 43 brief against 2 1 2 44 brush against, by, past 2 1 2 45 chase after 2 1 2 46 dine on 2 1 2 47 fool with 2 1 2 48 gain in, on 2 1 2 49 glance off, over 2 1 2 50 guard against 2 1 2 51 mess with 2 1 2 52 pile into 2 1 2 53 plunge into 2 1 2 54 roll off, over 2 1 2 55 search for, through 2 1 2 56 seize on 2 1 2 57 serve as, for 2 1 2 58 slice through 2 1 2 59 spoil for 2 1 2 60 spy on 2 1 2 61 strain at 2 1 2 62 tune into 2 1 2 63 sue for 2 1 3


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64 vest in 2 1 3 65 sponge off 2 1 3 66 scan through 2 1 3 67 add to 2 1 3 68 verge on 2 1 3 69 cope with 2 1 3 70 frown on 2 1 3 71 lapse into 2 1 3 72 merge into 2 1 3 73 opt for 2 1 3 74 paw at 2 1 3 75 prey on 2 1 3 76 slot into 2 1 3 77 tend to, towards 2 1 4 78 scroll through 2 1 4 79 fend for 2 1 4 80 pounce on 2 1 4 81 veer off 2 1 4 82 barge into 2 1 4 83 browse through 2 1 4 84 budget for 2 1 4 85 vie with, for 2 1 4 86 rail against, at 2 1 5 87 vouch for 2 1 5 88 mooch about, around 2 1 5 89 paper over 2 2 1 90 reason with 2 2 1 91 suffer from 2 2 1 92 provide against, for 2 2 1 93 result in 2 2 1 94 tower above, over 2 2 1 95 agree to, with 2 2 1 96 allow for, of 2 2 1 97 account for 2 2 1 98 arrive at 2 2 1 99 centre around, on 2 2 1 100 complain of 2 2 1 101 decide on 2 2 1 102 enter into, on (upon) 2 2 1 103 figure on, 2 2 1 104 finish with 2 2 1 105 issue from 2 2 1 106 major in 2 2 1 107 marry beneath, into 2 2 1 108 report to 2 2 1 109 return to 2 2 1 110 visit with 2 2 1 111 improve on 2 2 2 112 retail at, for 2 2 2


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113 admit of, to 2 2 2 114 venture into 2 2 2 115 amount to 2 2 2 116 appeal for, to 2 2 2 117 apply for, to 2 2 2 118 argue with 2 2 2 119 attend to 2 2 2 120 bargain for, on 2 2 2 121 border on 2 2 2 122 confess to 2 2 2 123 consist in, of 2 2 2 124 convert into 2 2 2 125 cotton to 2 2 2 126 declare against, for 2 2 2 127 delight in 2 2 2 128 depend on 2 2 2 129 descend into, on, to 2 2 2 130 despair of 2 2 2 131 dial into 2 2 2 132 dissolve into 2 2 2 133 divide by, into 2 2 2 134 double as 2 2 2 135 enquire after, into 2 2 2 136 expand on 2 2 2 137 factor into 2 2 2 138 focus on 2 2 2 139 glory in 2 2 2 140 impact on 2 2 2 141 impose on 2 2 2 142 inform on 2 2 2 143 insist on 2 2 2 144 insure against 2 2 2 145 labour under 2 2 2 146 minor in 2 2 2 147 object to 2 2 2 148 occur to 2 2 2 149 offend against 2 2 2 150 permit of 2 2 2 151 pretend to 2 2 2 152 prevail on (upon) 2 2 2 153 proceed from 2 2 2 154 pronounce for, against, on (upon) 2 2 2 155 quarrel with 2 2 2 156 rally around (round) 2 2 2 157 refer to 2 2 2 158 reflect on 2 2 2 159 relate to 2 2 2 160 rely on 2 2 2 161 resolve into 2 2 2


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162 resort to 2 2 2 163 succeed in 2 2 2 164 traffic in 2 2 2 165 adhere to 2 2 3 166 subscribe to 2 2 3 167 abound in, with 2 2 3 168 ponder about, on, over 2 2 3 169 trespass on 2 2 3 170 aspire to 2 2 3 171 cannon into, cannon off 2 2 3 172 cater for, to 2 2 3 173 conceive of 2 2 3 174 consent to 2 2 3 175 contend with 2 2 3 176 depart from 2 2 3 177 derive from 2 2 3 178 dictate to 2 2 3 179 dispense with 2 2 3 180 dispose of 2 2 3 181 embark on (upon) 2 2 3 182 enlarge on (upon) 2 2 3 183 gallop through 2 2 3 184 incline to, towards 2 2 3 185 indulge in 2 2 3 186 invest in 2 2 3 187 marvel at 2 2 3 188 plaster over 2 2 3 189 preside over 2 2 3 190 presume on (upon) 2 2 3 191 revolve around 2 2 3 192 safeguard against 2 2 3 193 trifle with 2 2 3 194 allude to 2 2 4 195 abstain from 2 2 4 196 commune with 2 2 4 197 confide in 2 2 4 198 consort with 2 2 4 199 defer to 2 2 4 200 detract from 2 2 4 201 devolve on, to, upon 2 2 4 202 discourse on 2 2 4 203 encroach on 2 2 4 204 equate to 2 2 4 205 grapple with 2 2 4 206 infringe on 2 2 4 207 jostle for 2 2 4 208 pander to 2 2 4 209 partake of 2 2 4 210 pertain to 2 2 4


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211 pivot on (around) 2 2 4 212 rebound on 2 2 4 213 renege on 2 2 4 214 reside in, with 2 2 4 215 revel in 2 2 4 216 revert to 2 2 4 217 tamper with 2 2 4 218 dally with 2 2 5 219 accede to 2 2 5 220 connive at, in 2 2 5 221 impinge on 2 2 5 222 inveigh against 2 2 5 223 repair to 2 2 5 224 disagree with 2 3 1 225 minister to 2 3 1 226 surrender to 2 3 2 227 substitute for 2 3 2 228 calculate on 2 3 2 229 concentrate on 2 3 2 230 contribute to 2 3 2 231 deliver on 2 3 2 232 interfere with 2 3 2 233 testify to 2 3 3 234 resonate with 2 3 4 235 culminate in 2 3 4 236 masquerade as 2 3 4 237 appertain to 2 3 5 238 gravitate to, toward(s) 2 3 5 239 militate against 2 3 5 240 associate with 2 4 2 241 elaborate on (upon) 2 4 2 242 identify with 2 4 2 243 capitalize on 2 4 4 244 luxuriate in 2 4 5

Verbs of unknown origin 95 words

Verb of unknown origin + preposition V origin Syllables Frequency 1 jump at, on 3 1 1 2 fit into 3 1 1 3 guess at 3 1 1 4 gun for 3 1 1 5 laze around 3 1 1 6 luck into 3 1 1 7 pick at, on 3 1 1 8 pour into 3 1 1 9 smell of 3 1 1 10 smile on (upon) 3 1 1 11 talk around, at, to, with 3 1 1


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12 toy with 3 1 1 13 crash into 3 1 2 14 flash by, past, on 3 1 2 15 grasp at 3 1 2 16 hint at 3 1 2 17 kick against, around 3 1 2 18 log into, onto, off 3 1 2 19 rub against 3 1 2 20 smash into 3 1 2 21 snap to it 3 1 2 22 squeeze into 3 1 2 23 toss for 3 1 2 24 dump on 3 1 2 25 breeze through 3 1 2 26 chop at 3 1 2 27 bump into 3 1 3 28 buzz around 3 1 3 29 flip for, through 3 1 3 30 sniff at 3 1 3 31 flick through 3 1 3 32 fuss at, over 3 1 3 33 fuck with 3 1 3 34 gaze at 3 1 3 35 glare at 3 1 3 36 lounge around 3 1 3 37 peck at 3 1 3 38 peer at 3 1 3 39 rip at, into, on, through 3 1 3 40 sip at 3 1 3 41 slash at 3 1 3 42 snatch at 3 1 3 43 surge through 3 1 3 44 tug at 3 1 3 45 chime with 3 1 3 46 crouch over 3 1 3 47 bum around 3 1 4 48 gag for 3 1 4 49 whizz through 3 1 4 50 zip through 3 1 4 51 flirt with 3 1 4 52 dote on 3 1 4 53 gloss over 3 1 4 54 jibe with 3 1 4 55 lag behind 3 1 4 56 nag at 3 1 4 57 prowl around, about, round 3 1 4 58 pore over 3 1 4 59 ram into 3 1 4 60 romp through 3 1 4


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61 slog through 3 1 4 62 slop over 3 1 4 63 slouch about (around) 3 1 4 64 squeak through 3 1 4 65 tout for 3 1 4 66 trawl through 3 1 4 67 yank at 3 1 4 68 dab at 3 1 4 69 jack into 3 1 4 70 slob around 3 1 5 71 skive off 3 1 5 72 loll around 3 1 5 73 bunk off 3 1 5 74 glom onto 3 1 5 75 drool over 3 1 5 76 rag on 3 1 5 77 scrimp on 3 1 5 78 traipse around 3 1 5 79 welsh on 3 1 5 80 whale at, into, on 3 1 5 81 bubble under 3 2 2 82 puzzle over, about 3 2 2 83 tangle with 3 2 3 84 trample on, over 3 2 3 85 nibble at 3 2 4 86 rifle through 3 2 4 87 tinker with 3 2 4 88 burrow in 3 2 4 89 segue into 3 2 5 90 bumble around 3 2 5 91 kowtow to 3 2 5 92 hanker after, for 3 2 5 93 piggyback on, onto 3 2 5 94 slobber over 3 2 5 95 disbelieve in 3 3 5


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Properties of Phrasal Verbs Consisting of “Verb