Ergativity in Korean

Abstract

In this paper I investigate the ergativity in Korean. I argue that the nal-li- type verb is the ergative verb, claiming that the causative suffix is the same as the passive suffix in Korean. The agent can never be the subject of an ergative verb. The differences between Korean ergative verbs and English ones are i) that the former have the (passive) suffixes, whereas the latter have no suffixes at all; ii) the causer can show up overtly with the former, whereas it cannot with the latter. Next, I argue that nal- type verbs are middle verbs, showing that they are very similar to nal-li- type ergative verbs in nature so that the former can be an alternative if the latter are not available. The causer is less likely to show up with the middle verb than the ergative verb, given that the former has no passive suffix added. The nal- type middle verb in Korean is quite different from that in English in i) that it does not describe a property of its subject; ii) it does not need a modifier nor allow only the present tense. Finally I investigate the matter of derivation in ergative constructions, concluding that the ergative/middle constructions are not derived from the causative, or vice versa, with the supporting evidence that the nal-li- type causative and ergative/passive constructions in Korean derived from nal- type middle constructions (or some transitive constructions).