2012, Vol.20, No.1

The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.57

pISSN : 1226-4822
https://journal.kci.go.kr/socioling

People communicate, as we know, not only with the spoken language but also with a body language. This study explores the interactional functions of nodding in the Korean dyadic conversations. Considering that conversation is an interactional achievement, nodding carried out the following functions. First, nodding generally supplements verbal message of the speaker and enables the listener to communicate without causing any verbal collision. It overcomes the limitation of the spoken language, which can only use one path called voice. Second, nodding functions as a signal for turn-taking in conversation. Choosing to nod rather than speaking can be interpreted, depending on the context, as a sign of listening or having an intention to yield the next turn or not to take the next turn in the conversation. Thus, it is also difficult to make the turn-taking system work without using non-verbal signals. Third, nodding enables the participants to respond to others without interrupting the conversation. Continual interaction regardless of turn-taking or communication content allows the participants to feel that the conversation is being accomplished smoothly. In that sense, nodding contributes decisively to the conversation as an interactional achievement. (187)

From around 2005 till today there has been an increasing interest among people in the internet space. Indications of such a phenomenon is the trend of using [X-남], [X-녀] type words. These words newly categorizes and gives value to people and shows close relation with social phenomenon. In regard to word formation, [X-남] and [X-녀] have high productivity. First of all, [X-남], [X-녀] can easily be made into words that correspond to gender. Also quite many are made through inference. [X-남], [X-녀] type words sometimes form a paradigmatic relation in a semantic way. [X-남], [X-녀] type words can be classified as ‘ability’, ‘appearance’, ‘behavior’ and ‘attitude’ according to the meaning, and again as positive and negative social value. The number of [X-녀] is greater compared to that of [X-남], and cases of [X-녀] particularly show strong characteristics of female discrimination. The trend of [X-남] and [X-녀] are largely influenced by on-line media seeking to stimulate the reader‘s curiosity. It is also used as means for viral marketing by people with industrial motives. But above all, the usage of [X-남], [X-녀] type words have a strong nature of exposing social value.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the usage of “contracted honorifics” in Korean language, and to explain the result in relation to socio-cultural property of the military society. Generally, the military society used to focus on vertical relationships which emphasized on social positions and ranks; however, in these days, the society is changing its focus on parallel relationships which stresses freedom and equality. Thus, the usage of “contracted honorifics” in Korean is gradually decreasing. In comparison with the civil society, the military society still uses the “contracted honorifics” very thoroughly. When one talks in a military society, he/she considers the personnel of the highest rank and addresses others without the honorific title. The usage of “contracted honorifics” in the military is closely related to the special property of the military society. The “contracted honorifics" is consistently used in the military with the focus on the relative ranking order rather than the speaker him/herself due to the special features of the ranking system and the conservativeness of the military. Hence, newly enlisted soldiers have difficulty in adapting themselves to the culture and the language in the military. Although the military is a special community executing national defense, it has to recognize the usage of the general honorifics in the civil society, and make efforts to develop an atmosphere which considers the language used in the civil society.