Komponent semantyczny STRONA / KIERUNEK jako podłoże gramatykalizacji defektywnego rzeczownika p’yŏn 편 we współczesnym języku koreańskim
The Semantic Component SIDE / DIRECTION as a Basis for Grammaticalization of the Defective Noun p’yŏn 편 in Modern Korean

Author(s): Jarosław A. Pietrow
Subject(s): Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Korean language; dependent nouns; nominalization; grammaticalization; modal predicates
Summary/Abstract: The present study deals with the category of the so called dependent nouns (ŭijon myŏngsa 의존 명사), traditionally called defective nouns, exemplified by the noun p’yŏn 편. The basic function of this category of nouns in Korean is the role of head within the nominalized clauses combined with several additional meanings. The noun p’yŏn 편 appears in comparative constructions, signalling degree of the feature being compared. As for pragmatic genre of utterances with the use of p’yŏn 편 they include mainly evaluation, advice or suggestion, where p’yŏn 편 constitutes a modal predicate, namely p’yŏn-ida 편이다. This scheme of grammaticalization is based on the semantic component of side. The second scheme of nominalization is based on adjectival predicate e.g. chot’a 좋다 and natta 낫다, expressing the meaning of assessment within comparative scale, namely p’yŏn-i chot’a 편 이 좋다 or p’yŏn-i natta 편 이 낫다 ‘it would be better if’, ‘it is better to do rather…’. This scheme is of rather dynamic character, based on the semantic component of direction, where the speaker suggests to the hearer acting or behaviour directed at some better solutions. The uses of p’yŏn 편 here are directly connected with the Korean ethos of communication based on avoiding pressure exerted on the hearer and relying on the lower degree of self-confidence on the speaker’s side.

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