가수 및 그룹의 명명 방식에 대한 사회언어학적 연구－1990년~2009년의 멜론 차트를 중심으로－

Abstract

This paper aims to identify what typical characteristics of names for Korean singer and music group, one of Korean linguistic cultures, are and what changes they have had. For the study, characteristics of names of Korean singer and music group who(which) were charted 100 in Melon from 1990 to 2009 were analysed with a use of qualitative method, one of socio-linguistic methodologies. A total of names of 386 singers and 217 music group were sampled and analysed with a focus given on distribution of language types, the number of syllables. The name of singer was discovered that the occupancy rate of Chinese name was the highest. The second highest was Foreign name and the third highest was Native name. The name of music group was discovered that the occupancy rate of Foreign name was the highest. Next was Chinese name, followed by Native name. The reason why Chinese name is used most often as the name of singers is because traditional Korean name was used. From the late 1990s, Foreign names began to be used more. In the name of music groups, the number of Foreign names outnumbers any other language type from 1993. This phenomenon seems to be related to the fact that most music groups tend to be influenced by foreign music and aim to do their singing career globally. Analysing the number of syllables in names of singer, it was discovered that more than 78.8% were made of three syllables(including last name). Next is two syllables. Two syllable names are easy to say and remember, and give intimacy because last name is excluded. The number of syllables in names of music group, 29.0% were made of three syllables. The percentage of each group(from two syllable names to five syllable names) were similar, since most names of music group are Foreign names. Another interesting point is that the methods of naming singers and music groups are diversifying. For examle, music groups use numbers, alphabet letters or abbreviations, clipped words, acronyms, etc.