earticle

영어

The purpose of this study is to provide an experimental pragmatic account of three different Korean comparative constructions: 1) uncommitted differential comparatives, 2) committed differential comparatives and 3) asymmetric equivalent comparatives. All the three types have a gradable adjective like ‘chwupta (cold)’ or ‘ttwungttwunghata (fat)’ as their main predicate and the first two types of comparatives employ what is called a comparative postposition ‘-pota (than)’ in common. However, type 2) contains a seemingly extra emphatic adverb ‘-te (more)’ which type 1) lacks. The present paper argues that this difference is not just a matter of emphasis but a crucial source of varying pragmatic inferences. Finally, the third type of comparative constructions that use the particle ‘-mankhum (as much as)’ is not only about similarity between the individuals compared but about further asymmetry between them. Little attention has been paid to this asymmetry by any formal semantic theory of comparatives. Since each type of Korean comparatives in question can have non -truth-conditional meanings like implicature, presupposition and asymmetry, this requires a pragmatic account. The present study conducts a series of experiments on native speakers' perception of different inferences that each type of comparative constructions may induce. The experimental findings are summarized and discussed to shed light on the pragmatic nature of these Korean comparative constructions