Morphologically Conditioned Post-obstruent Tensification in Korean: Partial Ordering

Abstract

Tak, Jin-young. 2003. Morphologically Conditioned Post-obstruent Tensification in Korean: Partial Ordering. Korean Journal of Linguistics, 28-1, 115-139. The present study analyzes a categorical asymmetry between nouns and verbs toward Post-obstruent Tensification in Korean within the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky 1993, McCarthy & Prince 1993). This paper analyzes under two proposals: Base-Identity (Kenstowicz 1996) and a partial ordering model (Anttila 1995, 2000a, 2000b; Kager 1999). Under Base-Identity, this paper shows that Korean nouns can display an output-output correspondence in paradigms between a noun stem and its derivative since they stand in isolation, while verbs cannot. Then, in terms of emergence of morphology, this paper adopts the partial ordering model, whereby there is a single constraint hierarchy in Korean, of which two constraints are freely ranked. It is also suggested that an alternative ranking between ID-tense and ♧ID-[tense] is responsible for a categorial asymmetry between nouns (i.e., ID-[tense] >> ♧ID-[tense]) and verbs (i.e., ♧ID-[tense] >> ID-[tense]) in Korean. (Sejong University)