An Overview of Korean Case Particle Alteration: Focusing on eul/reul ‘을/를’ - i/ga ‘이/가’ Alteration

Abstract

In this research, we examine the manifestation of the accusative case marker eul/reul 을/를 alteration, where it is replaced by the nominative case marker i/ga 이/가, specifically in -go sipda -고 싶다 construction and in clauses with a transitive predicate (NP i/ga 이/가 NP eul/reul 을/를 VP). The results show that the object or theme must have a definitive reference, and the verb immediately preceding -go sipda construction should not form part of a complex predicate within the inner clause. In case of the NP i/ga 이/가 NP eul/reul 을/를 VP structure, the verb should convey a static meaning. The case marker i/ga attached to NP2, does not indicate the subject. Instead, it functions as type of auxiliary marker with characteristics similar to those of determiners.

Keywords

• case marker alteration
• eul/reul – i/ga alteration
• -go sipda construction
• case marker functions
• determiner