CAUSE as the Deep Semantic Source of So-called Causative and Passive : With Special Reference to the Metaphorical Interpretation of the -i Morpheme in Korean

Abstract

o. Traditionally the Korean verb poi (.!I!.. 014) has been regarded to be syntactically ambivalent , in that it functions as an intransitive verb as in CIa) and also as a transitive "causative" verb as in (1b).¹ (1) a. na-nun san- i po- i- n- tao I -Top hill-SM see C Pres SM 'I see a hill.' b. yeng-i-ka na-eykey kkotsin- ul po -i -ess-ta. yeng-i-SM 1-10 flowery shoes-DO see C Pst-SE 'Yeng- i showed me flowery shoes! (Top=Topic Marker, SM=Subject Marker, C=CAUSE², Pres=Present,. Mod=Modality, SE=Sentence Ending, 1O=lndirect Object, DO=Direct. Object, Pst=Past) On the other hand, Korean has the simple verb po (보다) which IS undisputably a transitive verb. See (2a). (2) a . nay-ka kkotsin -ul po -n -tao I -SM flowery shoes-DO see Pres SE 'I see flowery shoes.' b. *yeng-i-ka na-eykey kkotsin -ul po –n -ta. yeng-i-SM I -IO flowery shoes-DO see-Pres -SE '*Yeng-i sees me flowery shoes!