Oblique case marking on core arguments in Korean

TY - JOUR

T1 - Oblique case marking on core arguments in Korean

AU - Kim, Jong-Bok

AU - Sells, Peter

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - In this paper we present data from Korean in which the core arguments (subject and direct object) of a transitive clause may be suffixed with oblique postpositional markers rather than the usual nominative or accusative case markers. Unlike familiar cases of oblique arguments, such as dative subjects, we argue that the oblique case marking surveyed here does not indicate a particular thematic role, but rather brings out something different: other semantic properties of the argument in one instance, and a special interpretation imparted to the whole clause in the other. We present a description of the data against a background of current theoretical approaches to case marking, and conclude with some consequences for grammatical theory.

AB - In this paper we present data from Korean in which the core arguments (subject and direct object) of a transitive clause may be suffixed with oblique postpositional markers rather than the usual nominative or accusative case markers. Unlike familiar cases of oblique arguments, such as dative subjects, we argue that the oblique case marking surveyed here does not indicate a particular thematic role, but rather brings out something different: other semantic properties of the argument in one instance, and a special interpretation imparted to the whole clause in the other. We present a description of the data against a background of current theoretical approaches to case marking, and conclude with some consequences for grammatical theory.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78651307393&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1075/sl.34.3.04kim

DO - 10.1075/sl.34.3.04kim

M3 - Article

SN - 0378-4177

VL - 34

SP - 602

EP - 635

JO - Studies in Language

JF - Studies in Language

IS - 3

ER -