Double-Consonant Base Verbs in Korean

Abstract

O. In a very interesting paper entitled 'On the regularity of the so-called irregular verbs 'in Korean', Kim (1968b) presents a forceful argument -for what he calls 'the principle of implosion' (see below). On the basis of this principle, Kim provides are analysis of some-verbs whose final consonant alternation in conjugation has been considered irregular. In developing his argumentation for the regularity of the consonant alternations in terms of the principle of implosion, Kim postulates 'voiceless obstruents' Wand R as the underlying root-final consonants for the so-called 'p-anomalous·'Verbs' and 't-anomalous verbs' respectively. Kim also argues that there are two underlying liquid phonemes, not just one as has been recognized in many traditional analyses of Korean phonology.l The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative solution in which I shall argue that the p-anomalous verbs and t-anomalous verbs as well as the irregular I-base verbs('L-doubling vowel bases', Martin 1954) do not have a single root-final consonant, but a cluster of two root-final consonants, no member of which is subject to 'absolute neutralization' (Kiparsky 1968) ras Kim's W and R are.