'-ㄹ 수 있-'구성의 특징과 문법화

Characteristics and Grammaticalization of Modal Verb '- l su iss-'

This paper is concerned with investigating the meaning of '-l su issta,' its syntactic characteristics and the process of its grammaticalization. The '-l su issta' having originated from the noun 'su,' had taken up the modal function since the latter part of modern Korean. The modal category can be largely divided into two groups: The obligatory mode is related with the possibility of the statement contents conducted by morally responsible subject, while the cognitive mode is related with the speaker's judgment about the feasibility of the statement contents in view of the nature and source of the statement contents. In the premise of possibility, the '-l su issta' indicates [capability] or [permission] of the subject in the obligatory mode, while it implies [uncertain possibility] of the statement contents which can turn out true or not true in the cognitive mode. Besides this difference, there are syntactic differences in such aspects as ‘negative sentence forms, subsequent sentence constraints, preceding verb constraints, aspect constraints of preceding and succeeding verb, and clause/adverb clause constraints. With respect to diachronic development pattern, it is well consistent with the general developmental process of 'independent noun or verb > obligatory mode > cognitive mode.' From the 'su[術]' which had been used only as a noun up until the early part of modern Korean, it was evolved into the obligatory mode of [capability] in the form of '-l su issta' indicating the internal possibility of the participant. From here it was extended into the obligatory mode of [permission] in the form of '-l su issta’ which indicates the external possibility of the participant. By the time of modern Korean the ‘-l su issta’ has taken up the cognitive mode indicating the speaker’s judgment about the [feasibility] of the statement contents. Involved In this process was the mechanism of 'subjectification of meaning.'