‘무엇’은 화자가 모르는 사물이나 정보를 청자에게 물을 때 사용된다는 의문사의 기능으로 인해 한국어교육용 기초 어휘로 제시되고 있다. 그러나 ‘무엇’에 대한 설명은 초급 단계에 한정되어 있어 중‧고급 단계에서 제시되는 ‘무엇’의 다양한 용법을 제대로 보여주지 못하고 있다. 이는 [정보 요구]라는 의문사의 기본적인 의미기능으로는 설명하기 곤란한 ‘무엇’을 관용표현으로 제시함으로써 학습에 대한 부담을 가중시킬 뿐만 아니라, ‘무엇’을 표현 어휘에서 이해 어휘로 축소시킨다는 우려를 낳게 한다. 이에 본고에서는 ‘무엇’을 의문사, 부정사, 담화표지로 구분하여 각각의 의미기능과 형태‧통사적 특징을 학습 내용에 포함시킬 것을 제안한다. 아울러 한국어교육에서는 ‘무엇’의 의미기능과 형태‧통사적 특징을 비교적 명확하게 기술할 수 있는 의문사 및 부정사로서의 용법은 확대하는 반면, 맥락 의존적이며 주관적인 해석이 다양한 담화표지로서의 용법은 축소하는 것이 학습자들이 ‘무엇’을 자율적으로 사용하는 데 유용함을 주장한다. 한편, ‘무엇’이 주로 구어에서 다양한 용법으로 쓰임에 주목하여 드라마 대본에서 추출한 용례를 바탕으로 의문사, 부정사, 담화표지로서 ‘무엇’의 의미기능과 형태‧통사적 특징을 기술한다.

This paper aims to set up the semantic functions and the morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos' in Korean language education. 'Mueos' is presented as the Korean basic word because it is used to ask any question. The usage of 'Mueos' as a interrogative is well explained in beginners book. However, the other usage of 'Mueos' as a indefinitive or discourse marker is presented in intermediate or advanced book without any explanation. It makes learners get a heavy burden with increasing idiomatic phrases, and 'Mueos' become a word just for understanding not for producing sentences. Therefore, it is suggested that the semantic functions and the morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos' as a interrogative, a indefinitive and a discourse marker should be mentioned in Korean textbooks. In addition, I also emphasized that the usage of 'Mueos' as a discourse marker should decrease, while the usage of 'Mueos' as a interrogative or a indefinitive should increase in order to explicitly show the semantic functions and the morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos'. 1,561 sentences including 'Mueos' are extracted from drama scripts which show Korean colloquial style. 'Mueos' comes out in 730 sentences as a interrogative, 322 sentences as a indefinitive, and 509 sentences as a discourse marker. The semantic functions and morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos' are set up based on 1,561 sentences.

This paper aims to set up the semantic functions and the morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos' in Korean language education. 'Mueos' is presented as the Korean basic word because it is used to ask any question. The usage of 'Mueos' as a interrogative is well explained in beginners book. However, the other usage of 'Mueos' as a indefinitive or discourse marker is presented in intermediate or advanced book without any explanation. It makes learners get a heavy burden with increasing idiomatic phrases, and 'Mueos' become a word just for understanding not for producing sentences. Therefore, it is suggested that the semantic functions and the morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos' as a interrogative, a indefinitive and a discourse marker should be mentioned in Korean textbooks. In addition, I also emphasized that the usage of 'Mueos' as a discourse marker should decrease, while the usage of 'Mueos' as a interrogative or a indefinitive should increase in order to explicitly show the semantic functions and the morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos'. 1,561 sentences including 'Mueos' are extracted from drama scripts which show Korean colloquial style. 'Mueos' comes out in 730 sentences as a interrogative, 322 sentences as a indefinitive, and 509 sentences as a discourse marker. The semantic functions and morphosyntactic features of 'Mueos' are set up based on 1,561 sentences.

Korean language education, 'mueos', interrogatives, indefinitives, discourse markers