Between Categorization and Characterization: The Case of (sic)iljong in Korean

Abstract

The aim of our study is to observe the semantic functioning and the discursive values of the word (sic)iljong. lljong is a word made up of two words/morphemes: il (one) and jong kind, sort, lljong has two syntactic constructions which lead to two distinct semantic effects: iljong+ida and iljong+eui. The speaker who tries to categorize the referent will choose iIjong+ida and the speaker who tries to characterize the referent will use iljong+eui. However, iljong+ida and iljong+eui affirm nothing except the attitude of the speaker on the referent, because of their approximate value. Iljong+ida implies that the referent does not have the typical properties of the category and with iljong+eui, we have a referent which evokes the typical properties of another category. They are between categorization and characterization, each orienting itself towards one of these different directions.