Verb Lexicalization Patterns in Korean and Some Issues of Language Acquisition

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of Motion-conflation patterns of Korean verbs in Talmy's (1975, 1985) framework, and examines children's acquisition of motion verbs. I propose that when simple verbs expressing different semantic categories are combined to form a compound/serial verb, the most frequently obeyed ordering is that of manner/cause verbs preceding path verbs, which in turn precede deictic verbs, or any subpart of the sequence, regardless of whether the verb expresses a spontaneous "motion or a caused motion. Then I suggest the possibility that in Korean, certain verbs in which Motion conflates with Path as well as other semantic information may actually express UNDERSPECIFIED, or "light" Path information. Finally, I point out that children do not always start by using Path verbs to express physical motion, but that they may start with non-motion, metaphorical extension of the core meaning, to the extent that the input models uses such.