국어 數詞 및 數量詞句의 유형적 고찰

Abstract

The present paper explores typological aspects of numerals, classifiers, and numeral classifier constructions in present-day Korean. The paper reaches the following conclusions: There are two types of Korean numerals; one is pure Korean origin, and the other of Chinese origin. The following tendencies exist in the use of Sino-Korean numerals: (a) the larger the number, the more often the Sino-Korean numeral tends to be used in ordinary language, (b) in N-Q and Q-N constructions, which have no classifiers, Sino-Korean numerals cannot be used. Korean has four types of numeral classifier construction, such as N-Q, N-(Q-Cl), Q-N and (Q- Cl) -N. The construction, in which the quantifier precedes the noun, and in which there is no classifier, is the older form. The N- (Q- Cl) type is most widely used in present-day Korean. The typical usage of noun-initial constructions like N-Q and N-(Q-Cl) is found in a table of contents (lists), while that of quantifier-initial constructions is mostly used in a title.