A Study of Interactional Functions of –kes kath- Using Corpus Analysis

Abstract

This paper analyzes interactional functions and meaning of Korean sentence pre-final marker, -kes kath- in various contexts from micro and macro level perspectives. In order to accomplish the purpose, this study has used authentic and contemporary corpus. As a result from the data analysis, it can be found out that the marker -kes kath- functions in more precise interactional ways in actual contexts. Throughout the discourse data, this study will offer functions of -kes kath- as a stance marker, a mitigating device and elucidate in detail the subtle ways in which a speaker expresses his or her opposing stance in conversational interaction through -kes kath-. By using -kes kath-, the speaker mitigates an utterance, which in macro-level analysis contains contestable content. The study will also reveal how experts discursively establish their authority or strengthen their opinion by using -kes kath-. All in all the analysis shows that the speaker