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Kim, Ilkyu. 2013. Referential Status of -(n)un-marked NPs. Korean Journal of Linguistics, 38-4, 855-874. The semantic/pragmatic nature of a Korean particle -(n)un has been one of the most hotly debated topics in Korean linguistics. Nevertheless, few have provided a detailed analysis of the referential status of -(n)un-marked NPs. Rather, it is widely held that -(n)un is used for “old/given” information, without a clear definition of oldness/givenness. This paper is an attempt to provide a better understanding of the referential property of -(n)un-marked NPs by reconsidering the distinction between new vs. old information. Particularly, against recent previous studies that rely on the notion of presupposition, this study argues that -(n)un can be used for either hearer-old or discourse-old referents, with a slightly modified version of discourse-oldness. (Yale University)