How do language features such as formality and honorifics affect the use of a given language in everyday conversation?听
By: Devin Lohner
Course: Semantics (LING3430)
Advisor: Professor Zygmunt Frajzyngier
LURA 2021
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In Korean, honorifics and different levels of formality have a great impact on the choices speakers make in everyday conversation. My project explores the usage of the Korean future presumptive verb marker 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) and the considerations speakers make in order to choose to use this marker during speech. Please note that while 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) is called 鈥�future presumptive,鈥� it does not mark future tense. To determine the use and meaning of 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda), I will compare it to three other Korean verb markers which have similar functions:听 the 鈥榚xpected鈥� future marker 鈥�-(鞙�)銊� 瓴岇殧鈥� (-(eu)l geyo), the marker 鈥滉矁 臧欕嫟鈥� (geot gatda) which codes 鈥淚 think it is鈥︹�� or 鈥渋t seems like鈥�, and the verb marker 鈥�-雿办殧鈥� (-deyo), which has similar meanings.
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In most conversation, the future presumptive marker 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) is used in order to soften speech and to express a personal opinion. When the honorific speech form 鈥滌〈雽撾鈥� (jondaenmal) is used in Korean, the speaker expresses their respect for their interlocutor鈥檚 higher status. Thus, the verb ending 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (getda) is often used in honorific speech in Korean. As we can see in the following example, in which the speaker is addressing a camera, 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) is used to mark a consideration and respect for the interlocutor鈥檚 opinion.
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(speaking to the camera)
S1 : 鞎� 氚� 听 听 听 霅橂┐ 听 听 听 听 歆勳 听 鞚挫仒旮刺� 听 听 听 頃�瓴犽嫟.
听 听 听 听 a 听 bam 听 doe-myeon jinjja 听 ibbeu-gin 听 ha-getda.
听 听 听 听 ah night听 be-if 听 听 听 听 听 really听 pretty-ADJ do-FUT.PRESUMPTIVE
听 听 听 听 It鈥檇 be even better at night.听
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A speaker rarely wants to offend their interlocutor based on a difference in opinion, therefore the marker 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) is used in order to be polite and indicate respect toward their interlocutor.
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It is also important to note that using the 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) verb ending can change the fundamental meaning of the verb itself, along with changing the semantic meaning of the sentence it is in. For example, in the following conversation:
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S1: 旮挫灔听 听 听 霃�?
听听 听 听 ginjang dwae?
听听 听 听 nervous be
听 听 听 Are you nervous?
S2: 旮挫灔 听 听 霃�.
听 听 听 ginjang dwae.
听听 听听 nervous be
听 听 听 I am nervous.
S1: 歆勳?
听听 听 听 Jinjja?
听听 听 听 really
听听 听 听 Really?
S2: 鞚�, 听 听 鞕犾听 听 听 听 听 氇ゴ瓴犾柎.
听 听 听 eung, waenji听 听 听 听 moreu-gesseo.
听 听 听听yes 听 听 somehow 听 not know-FUT.PRESUMPTIVE
听 听 听 Yeah, I don鈥檛 know why.
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Speaker 2 chose to use the verb 鈥滊毳搓矤雼も�� (moreugetda) in order to express that he personally does not know why he feels nervous. If speaker 2 had chosen to use the verb 鈥滊毳措嫟鈥� (moreuda) without the 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) ending, he would have indicated that he does not know the base answer to the question of whether or not he feels nervous. It would change the meaning to something like听 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I am nervous.鈥�
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In contrast, by choosing to use a verb ending 鈥�-(鞙�)銊� 瓴岇殧鈥� (-(eu)l geyo) over any others, a speaker might be trying to code in their account for their interlocutor鈥檚 opinion on a matter. In the example below, speaker 2 uses the expected future verb marker 鈥�-(鞙�)銊� 瓴岇殧鈥� (-(eu)l geyo) in order to express something like 鈥淚鈥檒l build the house, however if you say otherwise I will not.鈥�
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S1: 霌れ柎鞕�听 听 霌れ柎鞕� 听 听 霌れ柎鞕�.
听听 听听deureowa deureowa deureowa.
听 听 听 come in听 听 come in听 听 come in
听 听 听 Come in come in come in.
S2: 歆戩潃 听 听 听 听 听 听 雮搓皜听 听 听 听 毵�霌り矊.
听听 听 听 jib-eun 听 听 听 听 nae-ga听 听 听 mandeu-lge.
听听 听 听 house-TOP听 1SG-SUB make-FUT.EXPECTANT
听听 听 听 I鈥檒l build the house.
S1: 鞖半Μ听 歆戩澊鞎�.
听听 听 听 uri 听 听 jib-iya.
听听 听 听 1PL 听 house-be
听听 听 听 It鈥檚 my house.
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The verb marker 鈥�-雿办殧鈥� (-deyo), while also used to soften speech and add a level of politeness, is used for a different function than that of 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda). This verb marker is used to express the speaker鈥檚 background knowledge on the subject as well as to code for a response in the affirmative from the interlocutor.
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S1: 鞎勳澊鞏鸽Ж鞚刺� 听 听 鞛堧姅听 听 听 瓴兲� 听 听 臧欖潃雿办殧.
听听 听 听 aieonmaen-i 听 听 it-neun 听 geot 听 gat-eundeyo.
听听 听 听 iron man-SUB be-TOP听 thing听 same-CONNECTIVE.ENDING
听听 听 听 I think that鈥檚 Iron Man.
S2: 鞎勳澊鞏鸽Ж!
听听 听 听 aieonmaen!
听听 听 听 iron man
听听 听 听 Iron Man!
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In this example, speaker 1 chooses to use the听 鈥�-雿办殧鈥� (-deyo) ending in order to express that he expects an affirmative response from his interlocutor. The use of this marker also indicates that speaker 1 is willing to adjust his stance on what he speaks about based on the response he receives from his interlocutor. While both听 鈥�-雿办殧鈥� (-deyo) and 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) are used in order to soften speech and express a personal opinion or knowledge, 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) does not typically code for any type of change in the statement, where 鈥�-雿办殧鈥� (-deyo) does.
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While the marker 鈥滉矁 臧欕嫟鈥� (geot gatda) does code a similar meaning to 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda), the latter is only used on verbs, where the former is used on nouns as well as verbs in noun form, as seen in the following example:听
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S1: 氪� 听 氍继� 听 听 鞙勳棎 听 听 听 听 听 听 霒犔� 听 鞛堧姅 听 听 听 瓯�听 听 臧�歆赌?
听 听 听 bwa mul听 听 wi-e 听 听 听 听 听 听 ddeo it-neun 听 geo 听 gat-ji?
听 听 听 look water above-LOC float be-TOP听 thing same-CONNECTIVE.ENDING
听 听 听 Doesn鈥檛 he seem to be floating on the water?
S1: 鞓れ槫鞓� 攴胳 氍� 听 听 鞙勳棎 听 听 听 听 听 鞛堧姅听 听 听 瓯� 听 听 臧�歆赌.
听听 听 听 ooo听 听 听 geuji mul 听 wi-e 听 听 听 听 听 听 it-neun听 geo 听 gat-ji.
听听 听 听 ooo听 听 听 right water above-LOC be-TOP thing same-CONNECTIVE.ENDING
听听 听 听 Doesn鈥檛 he? He seems to be floating on the water.
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The speaker in this example chooses to use the marker 鈥滉矁 臧欕嫟鈥� (geot gatda) marker over 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) in order to code his opinion and the 鈥渋t seems like鈥� functionality into the verb 鈥滌瀳雼も�� (itda), meaning 鈥渢o be鈥�. The verb 鈥滌瀳雼も�� (itda) is changed into the noun form 鈥滌瀳電斺�� (itneun) in order to be modified by 鈥滉矁 臧欕嫟鈥� (geot gatda), which is not necessary when using the 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) marker.
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Using the future presumptive marker 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) thus indicates that while the speaker intends to be polite to their interlocutor, they are still mostly concerned with expressing their own opinion on a matter, unlike with the markers 鈥�-雿办殧鈥� (-deyo) and 鈥�-(鞙�)銊� 瓴岇殧鈥� (-(eu)l geyo). The use of 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) also allows the speaker to mark this politeness and softening on verbs, where 鈥滉矁 臧欕嫟鈥� (geot gatda) marks this on nouns only.
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Korean speakers are constantly taking into account the background, status, and opinions of their interlocutors in order to have effective conversations with them. Using the future presumptive verb marker 鈥�-瓴犽嫟鈥� (-getda) is just one way Korean speakers do this.听
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Bibliography:
毂勲剱 NCT DAILY. 2019, May 4. JUNGWOO X MIAMI : Wyndwood Walls & Peruvian food mukband (Feat. JOHNNY) | NCT 127 HIT THE STATES. Retrieved from .
毂勲剱 NCT DAILY. 2019, July 11. NCT 127 X VANCOUVER : Crushing on Vancouver (Feat. Mysterious Hand) | NCT 127 HIT THE STATES. Retrieved from .
毂勲剱 NCT DAILY. 2019, June 16. Welcome to my hometown & Sleepover with DY, MK | Johnny鈥檚 Communication Center (JCC) Ep. 10. Retrieved from .