?? ?? ¡®???¡¯? ????? ???? ??? ??? (On the Semantic Function of the Modal Adverb ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ and the Construction of Sentence Meaning)

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??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ¡®??¡¯? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??. ? ??? ¡®???¡¯? ??? ??? ??? ????? ¡®???¡¯? ????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??. ? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???. ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ? ???.
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This study attempted to examine what kind of semantic interpretation process the modal adverb ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ (roughly translated as ¡°rather¡±) goes through to represent its unique semantic function. For ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ to contribute its modal meaning, additional semantic elements beyond the content of the modified clause are required. Specifically, generalized background knowledge derived from the context, shared information among interlocutors, or expectations naturally inferred from these elements must first be established. The clause modified by ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ is then constructed with content that contrasts with such expectations. Furthermore, to indicate that the modified clause deviates from the generalized background knowledge but remains comprehensible, additional elements such as reasons or conditions may be included.
While these elements can be explicitly represented within the sentence, they are often not directly expressed. Instead, they are implied through presuppositions or inferred from the surrounding context. Consequently, interpreting the meaningof sentences containing ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ requires a process(namly ¡®semiosis¡¯), through which content elements are reconstituted based on the sentence¡¯s expressions. This paper posits that such a ¡®semiosis¡¯ constitutes a critical mechanism for meaningconstruction in sentences. The components of a sentence cannot inherently represent meaning on their own; only through the interaction of each element with various other elements in the sentence, which shapes diverse content, can theyrepresent their unique semantic functions.
Previous studies have often interpreted the semantic function of ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ as reflecting the speaker¡¯s psychological attitude of ¡°unexpectedness.¡± However, this paper argues that the function of ¡®ohiryeo¡¯ is not limited to indicating a meredeparture from the background knowledge or expectations inferred from the context. Rather, it represents the speaker¡¯s judgment that the content of the modified clause significantly deviates from such expectations or exhibits an aspectdirectly opposed to them.