Case in Korean 'Raising Constructions'

Abstract

This paper deals with the case marking pattern found in the Korean structure exemplified by the sentence John-i Yengmi-lul aphu-tako mit-essta 'John believed Yengmi to be ill'. Based on constraints on the type of embedded verb that can occur in this pattern, it is suggested that the relevant syntactic structure must include a constituent consisting of the matrix verb and aphu-tako. It is then shown that this structure not only predicts the existence of the accusative case suffix on the 'subject' argument of the embedded verb, but that it is also compatible with a variety of subtle semantic contrasts that distinguish it from a related construction in which Yengmi bears the nominative case.