The expression of modality in Korean - Institut für ...

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(26) [#[yo+haksaeng] N +tul +i#] N
CR
CR
IR
IR
# yo # # haksaeng # [+tul] N [+i] N
female student PL NOM
The amount of morphological transparency in this example is maximal, a result which is very
typical for the output of CRs and IRs in Korean. As can be seen from the example,
compounds in Korean are right-headed, i.e. in any given compound #X + Y#, Y is the head.
Nominal inflectional suffixes in Korean are mostly case-assignment markers in a case
paradigm with a basic Nominative-Accusative system. The number of inflectional suffixes
which may be added on to a noun is limited, thus rendering the requirement of ordering rules
minimal; the most salient is active in (26) in that a case marker or the topic marker must fill
the final morphological slot, thus assuring that [+tul] N is inserted preceding [+i] N . Turning to
verbal morphology, we find a slightly lesser degree of morphological transparency in some
cases due to the activating of readjustment rules (RR), such as illustrated for example in (27)
pullossta „(he) called“.
(27) [#[pull] V +o +ss +ta#] V
IR
IR
IR
# pulu # [+o] V [+ss] V [+ta] V
call connective sfx PAST SCSfx