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oa The historical evolution of the Korean temporal system: Discrepancies between declarative and modifying clauses
- Source: Korean Linguistics, Volume 22, Issue 1, Jul 2026, p. 48 - 63
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- 20 Mar 2026
- 14 Apr 2026
- 10 Jul 2026
Abstract
The Korean temporal system exhibits a striking discrepancy between the tense-aspect markings used in declarative sentences and those found in noun-modifying (adnominal) clauses. While contemporary declarative sentences primarily utilize -ess- for the past and -nun-/-n- for the present, modifying clauses maintain a system where a “zero” form marks the past and -nu- marks the present. This paper argues that these discrepancies are the result of uneven historical grammaticalization. By examining 15th-century Middle Korean, this study demonstrates that noun-modifying clauses are conservative structures that preserve an older temporal system, whereas declarative sentences have undergone radical reorganization due to the emergence of the past tense marker -ess- originating from the resultative marker -e is-.
