The Position of KP and Phrasal Modifiers in Korean Locative PPs

Abstract

In this paper I clarify how KP is syntactico-semantically related to AxPart and where KP is structurally located in Korean locative PPs. Looking into possibility of genitive case realization of K as -uy and of adjectival modification between KP and AxPart, I insist that KP is first-merged with AxPart in its complement position. In the complement position, no phonological realization of K as any kind is allowed. Its phonological manifestation as -eyse only happens when AxPart is modified by a directional adverbial or a measure expression. The reason is because KP is in the specifier position of AxPartP, where the specific semantic effect source is given. KP movement to [Spec, AxPartP] is triggered by the strong edge feature of AxPart. If AxPart has a strong edge feature, KP obligatorily moves to [Spec, AxPartP], crossing a directional adverbial or a measure phrase. With AxPart having no strong edge feature, KP stays in its complement position with no realization of K as -eyse, since the position is not given any specific semantic effect.