‘의문사 … -냐면’ 구성에 대한 연구

Abstract

This research investigates the construction 'interrogative –nyamyeon' in Korean. Unlike the conventional quotation structure, the 'interrogative -nyamyeon' structure plays a unique role in explicitly presenting the topic and focus of the discourse. This is achieved through the strategic placement of an interrogative in the preceding clause, followed by the specification of its content in the subsequent element, effectively directing the reader's attention to the core of the discussion. Moreover, the construction can be extended beyond the sentence level and function as a discourse unit, which exhibits epiphenomenal effects. Notably, it contributes to the organization of turn-taking and the framing of discourse, thereby playing a supplementary role in guiding the flow of conversation and shaping the discourse's overall structure. The diverse functions of the construction can be understood in terms of a relationship akin to "[prospect of ongoing discourse] - [completion]." The topic-focus contains a question (QUD) and its corresponding answer, whereby the completion of the question occurs upon receiving a suitable response. Similarly, the organization of turn-taking is perceived as the completion of a discourse unit, fulfilling the expected topic of the ongoing discourse. Additionally, the framing of discourse serves as an indicator of the significance, with the subsequently provided content satisfying the criteria by the framing.