earticle

영어

In this paper, I examine adverbs used in the form “X wa,” collecting actual examples and analyzing their formal characteristics with particular attention to their semantic functions. From the perspective of the independent use of “X,” the occurrences of “X wa” can be broadly classified into three types: ＜X / X wa＞, ＜X’ ni / X’ wa＞, and ＜X’ wa＞. The grammatical features of each type are then discussed in detail. The findings can be summarized as follows: In the case of ＜X / X wa＞, two major functions can be distinguished: the expression of a viewpoint and the expression of disclosure. The former includes adverbs such as ‘gutaitekini wa’ (“specifically”) and ‘tadashiku wa’ (“correctly”), which originally denote aspects or perspectives but, when used in the form “X wa,” regulate the content of the sentence while simultaneously influencing its mode of expression. The latter is exemplified by ‘hontō wa’ (“in fact”), which derives from adverbs indicating an extreme degree and functions as a declarative adverb revealing the speaker’s true intention. The adverb ‘jitsu wa’ (“actually”) takes the form ＜X’ wa＞ and conveys the meaning of disclosure, but with the distinctive feature of expressing the speaker’s subjective attitude in revealing something unexpected. Meanwhile, adverbs such as ‘arui wa’ (“or”) and ‘moshiku wa’ (“alternatively”), which denote indeterminacy, as well as ‘yō wa’ (“in short”), which denotes summarization, derive their semantic functions directly from the inherent lexical meanings of “X’.”