Yu, Kyong-Ae (2008). The NSM-based approach to a Korean discourse marker: jom. 담화와 인지 [Discourse and Cognition], 15(1).
(2000) Korean – NSM primes
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2000). Semantic primes of ‘time’ in Korean. Proceedings of Modern Grammar Conference, Taeku.
Rating:
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2000) Korean – NSM primes
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2000). Semantic primes of ‘time’ in Korean. Proceedings of the 34th Annual Linguistics Conference, Seoul National University, Seoul.
Rating:
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2001) Korean – NSM primes
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2001). The semantic prime THIS in Korean. In Cynthia Allen (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2001 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society. http://www.als.asn.au/proceedings/als2001.html.
Abstract:
Korean is known to have three different demonstratives, i, ku, and ce, which are used differently according to context. Despite numerous studies on the meaning and function of these three words, it is difficult to find a clear semantic analysis of them in the literature. The main goal is, therefore, to identify the exponent of the prime THIS in Korean and, on this basis, to explore the possibility of explicating the meanings of the remaining demonstratives. Close examination of i, ku, and ce reveals that the exponent of the prime THIS in Korean is i. The remaining demonstratives, ku and ce, are found to be decomposable via the prime i and other semantic primes. The word ku is found to be polysemous, accordingly two different explications are proposed alongside one for the word ce. Two different texts are presented to test the validity of the analysis.
Rating:
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2003) Korean – NSM primes
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2003). The proposed universal semantic prime THIS in Natural Semantic Metalanguage theory: Is there an exponent in Korean? 한국어학 [Korean Linguistics], 16, 353-373.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to assess whether the hypotheses of the NSM approach are valid in the Korean context and, more specifically, to investigate whether the prime THIS, proposed as one of the universal semantic elements in NSM theory, is lexicalized in Korean. There appear to be several candidates, but further examination allows to select the most likely exponent. In more general terms, the possibility of conducting semantic analyses using NSM in Korean is endorsed.
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Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2004) Korean – Address forms and social cognition / Ethnopragmatics
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2004). Not just words: Korean social models and the use of honorifics. Intercultural Pragmatics, 1(2), 189-210.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/iprg.2004.1.2.189
Abstract:
This study demonstrates that it is possible to describe cultural values and their associated communicative norms in simple terms and from an insiders’ perspective, even in the case of languages such as Korean, which is widely known for its highly culture-specific and extremely elaborate system of honorifics. Adopting NSM principles, and in particular the cultural scripts approach, the study attempts to capture and articulate Korean cultural rules about social relationships and the associated communicative norms as reflected in the honorific system and present in numerous fixed expressions. Cultural scripts are presented in both the English and Korean versions of the metalanguage.
In addition, the paper tries to articulate the shared understanding behind the existence of honorifics as a social practice, namely, that differential usage of words can send specific social messages about how interactants regard each other. In the case of Korean, relevant components include a ‘vertical’ model of society in which people are commonly thought of as ‘above’ or ‘below’ oneself, a recognized category of revered senior people (Korean 노인 noin), and the importance of relative age differences in one-to-one interaction.
More information:
This paper is part of a special issue on cultural scripts.
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2004) Korean – Ethnopsychology and personhood
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2004). Korean maum vs. English heart and mind: Contrastive semantics of cultural concepts. In Christo Moskovsky (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2003 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society. http://www.als.asn.au/proceedings/als2003.html.
Abstract:
In this paper, an attempt is made to compare three highly distinct concepts, the Anglo concepts of ‘heart’ and ‘mind’, as well as the Korean concept of 몸 maum. An appropriate analysis of 몸 maum appears to be essential for understanding Korean folk psychology. The attempt is underpinned by the principles of the NSM approach so as to enable outsiders to see the cognitive structure of the analysed concepts through the same window as native speakers. Similarities and differences between the three concepts reflect different folk views on similar psychological entities. The overlap and discrepancies between the NSM explications explain why the Anglo terms can serve as translational equivalents in some contexts but not in others. The Anglo concepts reflect the Anglo culture-specific way of conceptualizing while the Korean concept 몸 maum reflects the Korean way.
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is:
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2007). Contrastive semantics of Korean ‘maum’ vs. English ‘heart’ and ‘mind’. The Journal of Studies in Language, 22(3), 171-197.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2006) Korean – NSM primes, NSM syntax
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2006). Constructing a Korean Natural Semantic Metalanguage. Seoul: Hankook.
Abstract:
This study has two main goals. First, it seeks to test the hypotheses of the NSM theory against Korean in terms of both lexicalization and syntax. Second, it explores the possibility of using the NSM method as a tool of semantic analysis for selected Korean concepts.
More information:
Published version of the author’s 2003 PhD thesis, Australian National University, Canberra.
Rating:
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2007) Korean – Mental states
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2007). Mental states reflected in cognitive lexemes related to memory: A case in Korean. In Andrea C. Schalley, & Drew Khlentzos (Eds.), Mental states: Vol. 2. Language and cognitive structure (pp. 85-108). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.93.07yoo
Abstract:
This study explores the issue of universality and variation in conceptual systems across languages and cultures. It investigates cross-linguistic variability in such systems through a semantic study of various morphosyntactic patterns in Korean. The focus is on three words related to the mental experience of remembering: kiekha- ‘remember’, kiekna- ‘memory comes, remember’, and chwuekha- ‘reminisce’. Their semantic contents is described on the basis of linguistic evidence, using NSM as an analytical tool.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2007) Korean – Ethnopsychology and personhood / Emotions
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2007). Korean ethnopsychology reflected in the concept of ceng ‘affection’: Semantic and cultural interpretation. 담화와인지 [Discourse and Cognition], 14(3), 81-103.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15718/discog.2007.14.3.81 / Open access
Abstract:
This paper contributes to a better cross-linguistic and cross-cultural understanding of Korean ethnopsychology and Korean ways of thinking and feeling through a linguistic analysis of the culture-specific concept and emotion known as 정 ceng. It uses NSM to describe the meaning of 정 ceng as well as that of ceng tteleci- ‘be disgusted’, which is one of several fixed expressions containing the word 정 ceng.
It is widely agreed that 정 ceng reflects the essence of Korean psychology in both interpersonal relations and personality characteristics. Understanding the meaning of 정 ceng and of the fixed expressions containing 정 ceng in daily conversations is therefore critical for cultural outsiders of Korean culture, and in particular for language learners. The analysis is based on linguistic evidence collected from corpus and other resources as well as on previous research in Korean cultural psychology.
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2007) Korean – Mental states
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2007). “Do you remember where you put the key?”: The Korean model of remembering. In Mengistu Amberber (Ed.), The language of memory in a crosslinguistic perspective (pp. 209-233). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.21.11yoo
Abstract:
The general treatment of the English concept ‘remember’ in cognitive science mistakenly suggests that it is a kind of innate human mental state that enjoys universal existence. This is denied by the existence of three translational equivalents of remember in Korean (sayngkakna-, kiekna- and kiekha-), which cannot be used indiscriminately: context is the decisive factor in the selection of the appropriate verb. This paper analyses the meanings of the selected Korean cognitive verbs that are employed as translational counterparts of remember. The NSM approach is adopted as the research framework for semantic analysis. Linguistic evidence is collected from various sources including corpora.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2008) Korean – NSM primes, NSM syntax
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2008). The Natural Semantic Metalanguage of Korean. In Cliff Goddard (Ed.), Cross-linguistic semantics (pp. 121-162). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.102.10yoo
Abstract:
This is a study into the Korean version of the NSM. Testing against canonical sentences reveals that the hypotheses of NSM theory in terms of lexicalization, syntax, and cross-linguistic translatability at the textual level are generally found to be supported. The findings are summarized, together with discussion of issues that arise in connection with the Korean-based metalanguage. The practicality of the metalanguage as a descriptive tool for semantic analysis is tested and explications of Korean-specific concepts are presented in both English and Korean to demonstrate they are isomorphic.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2008) Korean – Ethnopsychology and personhood
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2008). The Korean conceptualization of heart: An indigenous perspective. In Farzad Sharifian, René Dirven, Ning Yu, & Susanne Niemeier (Eds.), Culture, body, and language: Conceptualizations of internal body organs across cultures and languages (pp. 213-243). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110199109.3.213
Abstract:
This chapter shows the possibility of understanding Korean ethnopsychology through culture-specific concepts, and at the same time provides evidence of cross-cultural and cross-linguistic variability in the conceptualization of human faculties and body parts.
It is widely agreed that the conceptualizations of body parts across languages and cultures may shed light on human cognition in general. This contribution attempts to establish the Korean cultural model of the heart. In Korean, there are three distinctive concepts corresponding to the English concept of heart: 심장 simcang, 가슴 kasum, and 몸 maum. These words are frequently used in daily conversation as well as in literature. Knowing their meanings is therefore crucial in understanding the Korean view on human faculties. These meanings are described here using NSM. The lexical semantic analysis of the three Korean concepts illustrates the Korean culture-specific way of conceptualizing human faculties related to the English concept of heart.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2008) English, Korean – Ethnopragmatics / Foreign language teaching
Yoon, Kyung-Joo (2008). An alternative model for the development of pragmatic competence. 언어연구 [The Journal of Studies in Language], 24(1), 125-148.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.24.1.200805.125 / Open access
Abstract:
With the ever increasing acknowledgement of the significant role played by pragmatic competence in second language acquisition (SLA), there is a growing need for practical models of pragmatic instruction in the L2 classroom. The author critically reviews research on pragmatic competence in SLA and argues in favour of an integrative model inspired by work in the field of cross-cultural communication and ethnopragmatics.
The proposal, which is not restricted to particular L2 teaching settings, is to combine the NSM approach’s cultural scripts theory with J.M. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. A call is launched for empirical studies applying the alternative model to be undertaken. The author herself provides exemplification focusing on pragmatic instruction for Korean EFL learners. A number of cultural scripts are introduced to show the utility of the proposed model in the EFL classroom in Korea.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2011) Review of NSM theory
Yoon, Kyung Joo (2011). Theoretical and empirical review of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage theory: A tool for semantic analysis of cultural specificity. 인문학연구 [The Journal of Humanities], 19, 143-169.
Abstract:
This paper assesses the theoretical assumptions and principles of the NSM approach and its practicality as a semantic tool for explicating language-specific concepts.
By way of background, the author first presents a review of the literature on universal human concepts in general. She then introduces the methodological issues that are involved in cross-linguistic research aimed at testing the hypotheses that underpin the NSM approach in particular. She briefly summarizes some of its major empirical findings over the past few decades, showing that cross-linguistic investigations against typologically divergent languages are useful for understanding universal features of natural languages. Finally, she demonstrates the practicality of the metalanguage by presenting some examples of semantic analyses relying on NSM.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2011) Korean – Ethnopragmatics
Yoon, Kyung Joo (2011). Understanding cultural values to improve cross-cultural communication: An ethnopragmatic perspective to Korean child rearing practices. 언어연구 [The Journal of Studies in Language], 26(4), 879-899.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.26.4.201102.879 / Open access
Abstract:
Understanding cultural values is crucial for successful cross-cultural communication. Child rearing practices can demonstrate what cultural values a particular cultural group shares and cares about as they are often among the most culture-specific recurrent tasks requiring practical solutions. The present study examines one aspect of Korean child rearing practices that is chosen to be a window through which one can see some core Korean values. Based on linguistic evidence, a Korean cultural script is posited to reveal a Korean way of thinking and doing things. It revolves around the ‘fear of other people’s eyes’ and is somewhat related to other culture-specific concepts of shame.
The descriptive principles used in this study are those of the cultural scripts approach as developed within the NSM framework. The study can contribute to improved cross-cultural communication and to a better understanding between Koreans and cultural outsiders by elucidating an indigenous Korean perspective.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(1996) English – Musical metaphors
Yell, Michael Roderick (1996). Musical metaphors: Metaphorical structures in genres of discourse on music. BA(Hons) thesis, University of New England.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2000) Chinese (Mandarin) – Emotions
Ye, Zhengdao (2000). The language of emotions in Chinese: A study based on Hong Lou Meng. MA thesis, Australian National University.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2001) Chinese (Mandarin) – ‘Sadness’
Ye, Zhengdao (2001). Los sentimientos morales de la “tristeza” china: una ilustración del acercamiento del Metalenguaje Semántico Natural (MSN) al análisis de algunas emociones chinas “básicas” [Moral feelings of “sadness” in Chinese: An illustration of the NSM approach to the analysis of some “basic” Chinese emotions]. Isegoría, 25, 201-222.
Written in Spanish.
This study undertakes, within the framework of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach developed by Anna Wierzbicka and colleagues, a detailed contrastive and comparative semantic analysis of a couple of Chinese emotion concepts: 悲 bēi and 哀 ai (often glossed interchangeably as sadness, sorrow, and grief), which are considered to be basic emotions in traditional Chinese philosophical texts. It illustrates that (a) they are by no means interchangeable, nor are they equivalent of the Western idea of sadness, (b) they are artifacts of the Chinese culture, shaped by Chinese people’s social and moral experiences, and their view of life and the universe. Essentially, 悲 bēi encompasses a fatalistic view, and 哀 ai is a moral emotion.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
(2001) Chinese – Emotions
Ye, Zhengdao (2001). An inquiry into “sadness” in Chinese. In Jean Harkins, & Anna Wierzbicka (Eds.), Emotions in crosslinguistic perspective (pp. 359-404). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI: 10.1515/9783110880168.359
This paper attempts to overcome the methodological problems that plague emotion studies by relying on the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM). Through the explication of three so-called “sadness-like” Chinese emotion terms (悲 bēi, 哀 ai, and 愁 chóu), this paper will show how the NSM approach can provide a neutral comparative grid for further inquiries into the meaning of emotion concepts across languages and cultures.
The paper first provides a very general discussion of the Chinese emotion lexicon from a morphological point of view, followed by an in-depth semantic analysis of 悲 bēi, 哀 ai, and 愁 chóu in NSM. The discussion draws on linguistic evidence, including well-known textual examples, lexicalized items and conventionalized phrases and idioms that are familiar to the Chinese ear.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
