Passivization of Transitive Verbal Nouns in Korean: Factors that Facilitate Passivization in the VN-cwung Construction

Abstract

This paper investigates whether transitive verbal nouns (VNs) can appear passivized without –toy become and, if so, what factors are pertinent. We have demonstrated, based on the results of internet search and questionnaire, that some transitive VNs, particularly agentive ones, can appear passivized when followed by the aspectual element cwung during in Korean, as in Japanese. We have also argued that passivization of a transitive VN is possible only with a light verb lacking agentorientation, which is determined in terms of whether a light verb has an agentive heavy counterpart. Agent-oriented light verbs like ha- donever allow such passivization.