This thesis focuses on the two questions: What is the core meaning of a word? How is the core meaning realized in context to be more concret and explicit? For this purpose this paper analyses four Korean verbs: pat-ta (to receive), et-ta (to get), pel...
This thesis focuses on the two questions: What is the core meaning of a word? How is the core meaning realized in context to be more concret and explicit? For this purpose this paper analyses four Korean verbs: pat-ta (to receive), et-ta (to get), peli-ta (to throw away), and ilh-ta (to lose). These four verbs, to an extent, have a common meaning in that they involve movement of an object from one place to another. At the same time they contrast one another with some other features.
1. The four verbs can be divided into two groups in terms of, starting point and destination.
2. The subject of pat-to/et-ta is the goal of movement. These two words can also be subdivided on the basis of the nature of relationship between the subject and the moving object. The subject's function of pat-ta is patient/experiencer arguments. But the subject's function of et-ta is agent.
3. The subject of peli-ta/ilh-ta is the source of a moving object. Similiar to the verbs pat-to/et-ta, these two words are also subdivided according to the function of the subject: The subject of peli-ta is agent/agentive arguments and the subject of ilh-ta is patient/exper fencer arguments.
Also, pat-to/et-ta/peli-ta/ilh-ta are to divide core meaning:
4. The core meaning of each of the four verbs are as follows:
pat-ta: a process of some entity arriving at the subject.
et-ta: a process of some entity coming into existence.
peli-ta: a process of some entity going away from the subject.
ilh-ta: a process of becoming lost.
5. The general and abstract core meaning of the verbs is made more specific in context; The surrounding words our ability to infer the relationship between the subject and the verb on the one hand, and between the verb and the object on the other hand.
6. The core meaning decide and determine the number and the nature of arguments.
In conclusion, semantic analysis of verbs needs to investigate the features of arguments and to consider human factor.