What is grammaticalization?
Grammaticalization is the process in which a lexical item (word, phrase etc.) becomes a grammatical item. It is also the study of how languages change over time.
Demonstration a):
Verb 브터 (븥다) > Particle 부터
Conjugated, the verb 붙다 becomes 붙어 and we can clearly see how this particle gets its pronunciation.
Nowadays 붙다 means ‘stick (to)’ or ‘adhere (to)’. Historically it was a verb used with ‘movement of attachment onto a landmark’. With this meaning, we can intuitively sense how the semantic meaning of ‘stick (to)’ develops. Similarly, it isn’t too difficult to see how particle 부터 and its semantic meaning of ‘from’ developed. That is, “sticking to X and moving from there”.
Despite its origin however, particle 부터 cannot be used to mean “from a location”.
Demonstration b):
Word ‘hontuy’ > Particle 한테
The word ‘hontuy’ once meant ‘together’ and ‘same place’ (think 한 데 – one place). It was expressed as follows:
twu pwuthyey hontoy anc-a kye-si-kenul (15th century Korean)
Two Buddha together sit exist.
Two Buddhas sit down (there) together
nay … canay hontuy ka-kwocye ho-ni (16th century Korean)
I you ‘same place’ go do.
I want to go to you.
With this, we can see how particle 한테 developed the meaning of ‘to someone’. Additionally, when we look at the less commonly known usage of 한테 (occurring with subjects) we can intuitively sense the original meaning of ‘together’:
철수한테 돈이 없어.
There is no money onto 철수.
철수 doesn’t have any money.
Demonstration c)
Noun 데 ‘place’ > Grammatical form -는데
The grammatical form -는데 began originally from the word 데 meaning ‘place’.
The process of grammaticalisation is as follows: (From Rhee 2017)
• 데: ‘place’ > ‘at the place where’ > ‘while’ > ‘even though’ > ‘tell me more’ > ‘I have something to say’ > ‘I’m surprised’
• SPACE > TIME > TEXT > DISCOURSE > STANCE
a) 데 (place)
일하는 데가 어디야?
Where do you work?
b) 데 (place) / -는 데 (while)
일하는 데 불평한 거 없어?
i) Don’t you have any inconvenience at the place where you work?
ii) Don’t you have any inconvenience while you work?
c) 는 데 (while)
일하는 데(*에) 전화가 왔다.
The phone rang while (I was) working.
d) 는데 (while, even though)
일하는데 일이 안 됀다.
Even though I’m trying, there is no progress with the work.
e) 는데 (elaboration request)
너 언제 일본 가는데?
When are you leaving for Japan (tell me more)?
f) 는데 (agreement request)
날이 제법 추운데.
It’s pretty cold, isn’t it!
g) 는데 (mild disagreement/discontent)
나도 쿠키 좋아하는데
I too like cookies (how come I didn’t get one?)!
h) 는데 (counter expectation, mirativity)
와, 우리 딸 노래 잘한데
Wow, our daughter really sings well (I’m surprised)!
See also
Demonstration d)
Conditional Connective -거든 > Sentence-final -거든
The grammatical form -거든 began as a general clausal connective with a similar usage as -(으)면.
The process of grammaticalisation is as follows: (From Rhee 2017)• ‘if’ > ‘because’ > ‘background’, ‘reason’, ‘common ground’, ‘reluctance’, ‘now it’s your turn’
• CONDITION > CAUSALITY > LOGIC > DISCOURSE > STANCE
a) Connective ‘if’
그가 오거느 이 돈을 주어라.
If he comes, give him this money.
b) Reason
A: Why does he look so down?
B: 애인이 떠났거든.
(It’s) because his sweetheart left him.
c) Topic presentation
나 어제 재미있는 책을 샀거든.
(You know what) I bought an interesting book yesterday.
d) Turn-yielder – common ground solicitation
A: 지금 아기가 다섯살이거든.
A: My child is now five years old (You’re with me, right?)
B: 네.
e) Turn-yielder – common ground solicitation – mildly apologetic – reluctance
A: 네, 봉천동인데요. 이름은 말하고 싶지 않거든요.
A: Yes, I’m calling from 봉천동… but I don’t want to tell you my name (please understand).
B: 네, 그런데 성함은 말씀하주셔야 하거든요.
B: Yes, but you need to kindly tell us your name (please understand).
… To be continued
Bibliography
— Kim, E. (2015). Genesis of Korean sentence-ending suffixes: Grammaticalization of -canha, -ketun, and –nikka. 언어정보, 20, 21-42.
— Lee, K., & Ramsey, S.R. (2011). A History of the Korean Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
— Park, S. (2009). The Evolution of Korean Dative Markers: Its Formal and Cognitive Motivations*. Language Research, 42(2), 283–318.
— Park, Y. (1999). The Korean connective nuntey in conversational discourse. Journal of Pragmatics, 31(2), 191–218.
— Rhee, S. (2003). Semantic changes in grammaticalization of postpositionoids from movement verbs in Korean. Language Research, 39(1), 1–20.
— Rhee, S. (2017). Grammaticalization and Pragmatic Inference: The Case of Insubordination, presented at East Asian Special International Symposium: Pragmatics in East Asia; Its Practice & Contribution, December 16-17, 2017. Kyoto, Japan.
— Sohn, S. (2015). Grammaticalization. In L. Brown & J. Yeon (Eds.), The Handbook of Korean Linguistics. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.