Exploring Usage Patterns and Semantic Differences in Suffixes ‘-dab-’ and ‘-seureob-’ Using Corpus.
Seung-hye Hong · Korean Semantics · 2023
In this paper, we analyze some usage patterns and semantic differences of the suffixes ‘-dab-’ and ‘-seureob-’ based on spoken and written corpora. To do so, relevant sentences that include either suffix are extracted from the corpus, providing a rich set of authentic usage patterns of the two suffixes. We demonstrate that the two suffixes cannot be distinguished solely based on the semantic features of the expressions they attach to, nor can they be explained solely by differences in the relationship between the subject and the (preceding) lexeme. Alternatively, based on these observations, this study suggests that the suffix ‘-dab-’ signifies ‘not deviating from a generalized concept related to the lexeme’ and that the suffix ‘-seureob-’ signifies ‘evoking a sense or mood related to the lexeme’. Furthermore, this study explores the relationship between the derived patterns of ‘-dab-’ and ‘-seureob-’ based on semantic features found in the shared lexeme list. Lastly, it emphasizes that the inherent positivity or negativity of lexemes is context-dependent and not determined by the characteristics of the lexeme or the suffix alone. All in all, this study critically surveys some major analyses on the similarities and differences between ‘-dab-’ and ‘-seureob-’, mostly on the basis of the usage patterns found in one of the largest corpora currently available, and then a more comprehensive view of the phenomena is proposed, showing how it can explain examples not discussed in previous research.