‘-고’의 병렬성과 맥락의존적 관계의미 형성

Abstract

This study investigates the Korean connective ending-ko as a context dependent connective and analyzes its meaning and interpretation constraints through the framework of semantic layers. The findings are as follows. First,-ko itself carries a semantically vague meaning and yields various relational meanings inferentially, depending on the context. Second,-ko imposes a semantic restriction that permits the connection of only meaning entities situated at the same layer, thereby explaining contexts in which it cannot be substituted by other connectives such as-e or-eseo. Third, although the interpretation of-ko relies on contextual inference, its meaning construction is subject to specific interpretive constraints. This analysis demonstrates that relational meaning is not determined solely by the lexical semantics of the connective or by free pragmatic inference, but rather emerges from the interaction between the semantic constraints of the connective and context-driven inferencing. This study thus provides a new analytical framework for the investigation of-ko and other Korean connective endings.