Prosody of Korean Left-Branching Revisited49

Introduction

The prosody of Korean left-branching constructions has been extensively studied in the literature (Jun, 1993; Kim, 2005; Lee, 2010). However, there is still much debate about the nature of the prosodic unit that is formed by left-branching, and how this unit interacts with other prosodic units in the sentence. In this paper, I will revisit the prosody of Korean left-branching constructions, and propose a new analysis that addresses some of the outstanding issues in the literature.

Background

Korean is a head-final language, and as such, its prosody is characterized by a rightward prominence pattern (Jun, 1993). This means that the most prominent syllable in a prosodic unit is typically the rightmost syllable. Left-branching constructions are an exception to this general pattern, as they exhibit a leftward prominence pattern (Kim, 2005). This means that the most prominent syllable in a left-branching construction is typically the leftmost syllable.

There are two main types of left-branching constructions in Korean: relative clauses and topicalized phrases. Relative clauses are introduced by the relative pronoun ko, and topicalized phrases are introduced by the topic marker un. Both relative clauses and topicalized phrases can be attached to either the left or right side of the main clause.

Prosodic Analysis

The prosody of Korean left-branching constructions has been analyzed in a number of ways. One common analysis is that left-branching constructions form a single prosodic unit with the main clause (Jun, 1993). This analysis is supported by the fact that the left-branching construction and the main clause share the same pitch contour. However, this analysis does not account for the fact that the left-branching construction and the main clause can be separated by a pause.

Another analysis is that left-branching constructions form a separate prosodic unit from the main clause (Kim, 2005). This analysis is supported by the fact that the left-branching construction and the main clause can be separated by a pause. However, this analysis does not account for the fact that the left-branching construction and the main clause share the same pitch contour.

I propose a new analysis that addresses the shortcomings of the previous analyses. I propose that left-branching constructions form a separate prosodic unit from the main clause, but that this prosodic unit is still closely associated with the main clause. This analysis is supported by the following observations:
Left-branching constructions can be separated from the main clause by a pause.
Left-branching constructions share the same pitch contour as the main clause.

I propose that the prosodic unit formed by left-branching is a prosodic phrase. A prosodic phrase is a unit that is larger than a foot but smaller than an intonational phrase. Prosodic phrases are typically characterized by a single pitch contour and a single prominence pattern.

In the case of Korean left-branching constructions, the prosodic phrase consists of the left-branching construction and the main clause. The left-branching construction is the head of the prosodic phrase, and the main clause is the dependent. The head of a prosodic phrase is typically the most prominent element in the phrase.

Implications

The analysis of Korean left-branching constructions as prosodic phrases has a number of implications. First, it provides a more accurate account of the prosodic structure of these constructions. Second, it allows us to explain why left-branching constructions can be separated from the main clause by a pause. Third, it provides a basis for understanding the interaction between left-branching constructions and other prosodic units in the sentence.

Conclusion

In this paper, I have revisited the prosody of Korean left-branching constructions. I have proposed a new analysis that addresses the shortcomings of the previous analyses. I propose that left-branching constructions form a separate prosodic unit from the main clause, but that this prosodic unit is still closely associated with the main clause. This analysis is supported by a number of observations, and it has a number of implications for our understanding of the prosody of Korean.

2025-01-11

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