한국어 총칭표현들의 의미론적 분석

Abstract

We have investigated several crucial semantic properties of Korean generic expressions with a strict distinction between two kinds of genericity: generic NPs and generic sentences. Admitting topic/subject markers and stage-/individual-level predicates to play important roles in determining (non-)genericity, we have examined three significant aspects for the semantic analysis of Korean generic expressions. First, in terms of tripartite structures as a semantic representation for generic expressions, the procedure for generic NPs' genericity should be distinguished from that for generic sentences' genericity. The former genericity results from generic operator binding an individual variable for a generic NP, whereas the latter one from generic operator binding a situation variable which stems from the predicate. All kinds of predicates, individual-level as well as stage-level predicates, are considered to carry a situation variable. Second, Korean generic sentences belong to topic constructions, and a topic can be implicit. Third, topic and subject markers in generic sentences are not quantificational markers in themselves but the markers responsible for partitioning the tripartite structure for generic sentences.