10 Word formation
A language’s vocabulary is a work in progress. New words are constantly being added, sometimes through borrowing from other languages but more often by
making adjustments to currently existing words.
10.1 Compounding
A particularly common strategy for word formation in Korean involves com- bining two or more elements to create a compound word.
10.1.1 Compound nouns
A very large number of Sino-Korean compounds consist of two roots. These roots are often bound
–
that is, they cannot be used as words on their own. 주차 駐車
운전 運轉 교통 交通
Many longer compounds can be created by combining two-item compounds with other words.
주차: 주차위반 parking violation 불법주차
illegal parking 주차금지 No Parking
주차난 parking difficulties
운전: 운전면허 driver’s license
음주운전 driving while intoxicated
초보운전 beginner’s driving 대리운전자 designated driver 교통:
교통사고 traffic accident 교통체증
traffic congestion 대중교통 mass transit
교통신호 traffic signal
속도: 속도위반 speed violation
제한속도 speed limit
경제속도 economical speed 속도계 speedometer
보험: 생명보험 life insurance
자동차보험 car insurance 의료보험 medical insurance 보험료
insurance premium The meanings of these long compounds can usually be predicted from their
component parts: 불법주차 not-law-park-car
illegal parking 음주운전 drink-alcohol-move-turn driving while intoxicated
Another type of compound noun is formed by combining two independent words of native Korean origin.
비: 비구름 rain cloud
비바람 rain and wind; rainstorm 가을비 autumn rain
이슬비 dew-like rain; drizzle Some compound nouns are hybrid in nature, consisting of words of different
origin e.g., loan word + Korean word, or vice versa. 메모지
memo pad 파격세일
drastic sale 청자켓
denim jacket 알콜중
alcohol addiction 유머감 sense of humor
도미노현상 domino effect 발레공연 ballet performance
문자메시지 text message 해외토 newsy topics from abroad 전신마사지 whole body massage
10.1.2 Compound verbs: noun + verb
A popular way to extend a noun’s usage is to combine it with various special verbs to create a compound verb.
a Compound action verbs
하다 : 한잔하다 have a drink
농구하다 play basketball
밥하다 cook rice
조깅하다 jog
망하다 go to
ruin 파산하다
go bankrupt
가다: 이민가다 emigrate
유 가다 go to study abroad
출장가다 go on a business trip 도망가다
run away 피서가다 get away from the
문병가다 visit someone who
summer heat is sick
b Compound descriptive verbs
하다: 정
하다 be honest 성실하다
be sincere 용감하다 be brave
얌전하다 be gentledecent
알뜰하다 be frugal 부지런하다 be diligent
이다: 망신이다 be a dishonour to
꼴불견이다 be unsightly 실망이다 be disappointing
대환영이다 be very welcome 상 이다 be incompatible with
과 이다 be scientific
지다: 그늘지다 be shadygloomy
구 지다 be off to one side
비탈지다 be hilly 야무지다
be firmhard-headed
건방지다 be conceitedimpudent 끈 지다 be persevering
10.1.3 Compound verbs: verb + verb
Pairs of verbs are often linked by means of -어아, -어다아다 or -고. There are
hundreds of compounds of this type in Korean, but certain verbs occur more often than others in these patterns. These ‘pivot verbs’ are sometimes found in
the initial position and sometimes in the second position.
a Pivot verb in the initial position:
갈-: 갈아입다 change one’s clothes
갈아타다 transfer vehicles
갈아신다 change one’s shoes 갈아끼다
replace bulbs, etc.
내-: 내쫓다 drive out; expel
내보내다 let out; expel
내몰다 drive out; force out
내버리다 throw away
알-: 알아보다 recognize; inquire
알아 다 catch the meaning
알아내다 find out
알아맞히다 guess right b Pivot verb in second position:
가다: 대가다
arrive in time for 기어가다
crawl on 잡아가다 take a suspect to the
쫓아가다 go after; chase police station
들다: 대들다 defy; talk back
스며들다 penetrate; soak into
끼어들다 intrude into 접어들다
approach; near
파고들다 dig into; delve into 오그라들다 shrink
보다: 지켜보다 watch
내려다보다 look down; overlook 떠보다
sound out a person 눈여겨보다 observe carefully
훔쳐보다 steal a glance at 흘겨보다
squint at Some compounds may even consist of three verbs:
쳐들어가다 hit-enter-go
invade 말라비틀어지다 dry-twist-fall shrivel up
10.2 Reduplication
Reduplication repeats all or part of a word to indicate emphasis, repetition, alternation, variety, or plurality see ch. 13 for more examples.
• Emphasis: 우리 이 추 길이길이 간 하자.
Let’s keep this memory for a long time. 승헌이는 운동, 공부, 노래 다 고루고루 잘 한다.
Seunghun is equally good at sports, academics, and singing.
어제 산 장미가 벌써 시들시들하네. The roses I bought yesterday are already wilted.
• Repetition: 면접 결과를 기다릴 때 마음이 조마조마했어요.
I felt uneasy pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat while waiting for the interview result. 이곳은 너무 시골이라 집들이 띄엄띄엄 있다.
This place is sparsely dotted with houses because it’s a very rural area. 남의 일에 꼬치꼬치 캐 지 마.
Don’t try to find out every single detail of someone else’s business. • Alternation or variety:
티격태격 다투지 말고 좀 사이 좋게 지내라. Don’t bicker, and please get along with each other.
어제 술이 곤드레만드레 취해서 집에 갔어요. I went home dead drunk yesterday.
내 친구는 남자 친구와의 일을 나한테 미주알고주알 다 얘기한다. My friend tells me about things between her and her boyfriend to the last detail.
• Plurality:
끼리끼리 모인다더니… People say birds of a feather flock together isn’t it so true.
구 구 깨끗이 치우도록 해라. Tidy up your room – every nook and cranny.
군데군데 청바지를 찢어서 입는 게 요즘 유 이야. It’s a trend these days to wear jeans after ripping them here and there.
10.3 Prefixation
Like their English counterparts un-, re-, and so on, prefix-like elements in Korean occur at the beginning of a word and modify its meaning. The line
between ‘prefix + word’ patterns and ‘word + word’ compounds is often hazy because many Korean prefixes evolved from full words and still have word-like
meanings. Selected entries are presented throughout this chapter; for more illustrations and basic examples, see the Handbook of Korean Vocabulary by M.
Choo W. O’Grady University of Hawaii Press, 1996.
가- 거짓 假 ‘temporary; fake’
가건물 temporary building 가계 provisional contract
가처분 provisional disposition 가입 provisional admission to a school
가분수 improper fraction 가 방 parole
- 할
急 ‘sudden; urgent’ 상승 sudden rise
강하 sudden drop of temp. 성장 fast growth
회전 sudden turn of a car 경사 steep slope
선무 urgent priority matter
대- 큰 大 ‘great; big; major’ opposite of 소 小
대가 large family 대문자 capital letter
대도시 big city 대성공 great success
대유 craze; fad 대기 conglomerate
대- 대할 對 ‘with respect to; vis-à-vis’
대외 with respect to foreign countries 대일 with respect to Japan
대미외교 policy toward the U.S. 대미무 trade with the U.S.
동- 한가지 同 ‘same’
동시대 same periodera 동년배 person of same age
동 자 business partner 동질 same quality; homogeneity
되- ‘again; back to source; in reverse’
되 다 ask again; ask back 되팔다 resell
되씹다 chew over and over again 되새기다 ruminate
맹- 사나울 猛 ‘fierce; violent’
맹활 being greatly active 맹공격 fierce attack
맹연습 rigorous practice 맹훈련 intense training
무- 없을 無 ‘not exist; have no…’ opposite of 유 有
무면허 unlicensed 무기력 lethargy; no energy
무분별 imprudence 무차별 indiscrimination
반- 반대할 反 ‘anti-; counter-’
반사회 anti-social 반감 antagonism; antipathy
반작용 reaction; counteraction 반비례 inverse proportion
반- 반 半 ‘half; semi-’
반세기 half a century 반자동 semi-automatic
반강제 semi-compulsory 반음 a flat or sharp in music
