From Unknown to Unspeakable: 'Mwe' as a Stance marker in Korean Conversation

• 발행기관: 한국사회언어학회
• 저자명: Kyung-Hee Suh
• 간행물 정보: 『사회언어학』제11권 2호, 137~160쪽, 전체 24쪽
• 주제분류: 어문학 > 언어학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2003.12.01

영문 초록

This study examines the interactional features associated with the Korean non-interrogative mwe and the kinds of action undertaken by this marker in spontaneous oral discourse. The examination of the conversational data reveals that the non-interrogative mwe is associated less with information and more with emotional expression. As a stance marker, mwe is used when the speaker expresses his/her attitude not to make a full commitment to specificity. This expressive meaning of mwe is suggested to derive from its referencial meaning signifying unknown, unavailable, unidentifiable and insignifiable information. As such, mwe serves as a device to fill the need of saying something when no words can be found. Such expressive functions of mwe emerge in a variety of contexts: mwe is used as a conversation filler, as a repair initiator, as a preface to some disjunctive actions and as a downgrader, and it is also used in a context where the speaker mildly negates the information relevant to the situation. The findings suggest that the interactional and expressive aspects of language use constitute the essential domain of language that is centrally intertwined with referential meanings.

목차

Ⅰ. Introduction

Ⅱ. Functions of mwe in conversation

Ⅲ. Concluding Remarks

References