2020, Vol.68, No.

Korean Semantics 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 1.11

pISSN : 1226-7198 / eISSN : 2734-0171
https://journal.kci.go.kr/semantics

This study aims to: first, understand the current learning status of idiomatic expressions in Korean Sign Language(KSL) through the analysis of KSL textbooks published up till now by KSL Professional Institute, and secondly, propose a list of KSL educational idiomatic expressions. Accordingly we examined past literature and analysed KSL textbooks. As a result of the literature review, we identified that idiomatic expressions in KSL are not distinguished from modification of sign and polysemy. This is seen in the criteria of narrow sense of idiomatic expressions, that asserts more than one linguistic signs are not employed as a mere sum of meanings. This means that the modifications of signs and polysemy, both of which do not comply with the formal criteria of idiomatic expressions, are considered as idiomatic expressions. Next, as a conclusion of analysis of KSL textbooks, there were only three books which explicitly covered idiomatic expressions. Even the textbooks that introduced idiomatic expressions manifestly presented one word as idiomatic expressions, thereby violating the formal criteria for idiomatic expressions, defined as "phrases of two or more words." As per the time period when KSL idiomatic expressions were taught, they were introduced in basic level KSL textbooks, unlike the awareness that the idiomatic expressions were to be educated in advanced level; in few numbers though. We have also identified the phenomenon that the KSL idiomatic expression were few in narrow sense and more in the broad sense. Thus, we propose a list of KSL educational idiomatic expressions that includes both narrow and broad senses.

In this study, we focused on the metaphors of animal body parts, explained characteristics and principles of the conceptualization, and discussed how these metaphorical expressions can be expanded. In chapter 2, we dealt with the correlation between animal metaphors and the metaphors of animal body parts and pointed out that the latter show more complex aspects than the former in the conceptualization. In chapter 3, we divided the metaphorical expressions of animal body parts into two types according to their constructions to examine how they are conceptualized. The metaphorical expressions consisting of solely an animal body part are mainly associated with the negative valuation if it correspond to a human body part. Otherwise they are mostly influenced by the frame of UP-DOWN metaphor. The metaphorical expressions consisting of an animal plus an animal body part are usually associated with the low valuation if the focus of their source domain is figure but they are affected by the symbol of the animal and the function of the animal body part if the focus of their source domain is function. In chapter 4, we captured the networks from the metaphors of animal body parts and revealed how the metaphorical expressions be expanded through these networks. This study emphasized that one can explain and predict the expandability of metaphorical expressions if they examine aspects of the expansion by the networks from the metaphors of animal body parts and the target domains mapping them in discourse contexts.

This study investigates the semantic characteristics of path expression through path verbs in fictive motion. In the previous research, the fictive motion was examined the definition, classification, and experimental studies on such recognition. This study examined the way of the path expression realized through the path verbs and its semantic characteristics. The results of this study are as follows. First of all, motion perception in fictive motion appears through specific paths and motion, and path perception precedes. In addition, there are an postposition or a path verb in the way of representing the path in Korean. This indicates that fictive motion perception is closely related to the PATH scheme. Next, in fictive motion, the path markers appear as adverbs with postposition ‘을(를)’, which indicates the whole event, as well as postposition such as ‘에서’ and ‘까지’. The types are divided into ‘linear’, ‘curved’ and ‘accompaniment’, and the schematic is presented. First, ‘linear’ is a motion perception through a point on the motion path, second, ‘curved’ is a motion perception through a curved motion path, and third, ‘accompaniment’ is a motion perception through a accompaniment object. Various path perception in fictive motion show the diversity of the range of paths that can be fictively recognized, and also the diversity and delicacy of human thinking.