earticle

영어

Some properties of case markers in Korean are observed that distinguish them from postpositions. Syntactically, case markers are not projected as the head of a phrase, while postpositions function as the head of a maximal projection. Specifically, the dative, the genitive, and the conjunctive markers are discussed. The dative marker manifests some properties of both case markers and postpositions, which I assume to result from fuzzy argumenthood of indirect objects. The genitive and the conjunctive markers also possess their own characteristics, part of which come from the fact that they express relations between NPs. A phrasal affixation approach and a multi-modular analysis of case markers will be compared. In the multi-modular analysis proposed in this paper, case markers are not syntactically realized elements. In syntax, they exist only as case features on NPs, and their morphophonological realization is presented in the morphological component. Finally, I will briefly comment on a possibility of treating case markers as improper or special clitics.