Article

한국어의 복수 표지와 수-분류사에 대한 소고

최기용 1 ,
Kiyong Choi 1 ,
Author Information & Copyright
1광운대학교
1Kwangwoon University
Corresponding author: 명예교수 광운대학교 국어국문학과 01897 서울특별시 노원구 광운로 20 Email: kiyongchoi@kw.ac.kr

ⓒ Copyright 2025 Language Education Institute, Seoul National University. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: Oct 30, 2025 ; Revised: Nov 27, 2025 ; Accepted: Nov 27, 2025

Published Online: Dec 31, 2025

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the syntactic and semantic properties of three Korean plural markers: -huy, -ney, and -tul. We argue that each marker syntactically forms its own N-adjunction structure with the preceding N, where N is the head and the marker is a non-head modifier, as described by Wiltschko (2008). Each marker also contributes a distinct semantic function that shifts the extension of the preceding N. We further claim that a numeral classifier has this function only in the so-called classifier-case type numeral classifier construction in Korean, which Choi (2025a) likewise analyzes as an N-adjunction structure. If correct, these claims undermine the major arguments of Park (2022) regarding plural -tul and its co-occurrence relationship with numeral classifiers. We reject Park’s appositive-type structural analysis of numeral classifiers and argue that -tul can co-occur with a classifier because it functions as a modifier rather than a head.

Keywords: numeral classifier; plural marker; modifier; N-adjunction structure

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