한국어 조사 ‘는’과 ‘가’에 대한 화용적 설명: 번역물의 비교를 통하여

초록

Numerous studies have explored the meanings/functions of the particles ‘un/nun’ (simply ‘nun’) and ‘i/ka’ (simply ‘ka’) in Korean, with most concurring that ‘nun’ is a topic marker and ‘ka’ is a focus marker. However, a recent study by Park and Yeon (2023) proposed an alternative account, suggesting that both ‘nun’ and ‘ka’ encode both focus and topic and that the relationship between these particles and a topic/focus status is orthogonal. This paper presents a pragmatic approach, positing that ‘ka’ is simply a case marker, whereas ‘nun’ marks old information. Other interpretations of these particles are inferred through pragmatic considerations. Not all instances of old information are marked with ‘nun.’ Instead, the choice between ‘ka’ and ‘nun’ depends on the speaker’s considerations of optimal relevance, as defined and used in relevance theory. The marking of old information may save the hearer’s processing effort and, consequently, enhance the overall degree of relevance. Conversely, the absence of this marking would take more processing effort, which might be compensated by additional cognitive effects. A small experiment conducted and several translations of English literature into Korean will show that this pragmatic account can deal with a wider range of phrases used with ‘nun’ and ‘ka.’

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