ScholarWorks@중앙대학교

초록

This study analyzes Korean mimetic words, extracts frequently occurring forms, and proposes the concept of “mimeme(mimetic morphemes)” based on these forms to further elucidate the nature of mimetic words. Mimetic words, along with onomatopoeic words, have been defined as expressions that imitate objects. However, while onomatopoeic words clearly mimic the acoustic properties of objects, the basis for the imitation in mimetic words remains ambiguous, yet they have often been treated together. If onomatopoeic and mimetic words exhibit clear iconicity or flexibility, it is essential to identify and clarify the attributes that characterize this iconicity or flexibility. In this study, mimetic words were statistically analyzed to extract high-frequency forms, which were then designated as mimeme. Although these forms may not constitute the fundamental units of all mimetic words or universally participate in their composition, they were conceptualized as key properties perceived by speakers as essential to the construction of mimetic expressions. For this study, a dataset of 2,525 mimetic words was collected and statistically analyzed, confirming that mimeme demonstrated high productivity in terms of frequency and distribution. The analysis revealed that these mimeme appear both at the beginning and the end of words. While they generally manifest as single syllables, a few two-syllable mimeme with specific characteristics also emerged. Comparing the frequency and repetition of these morphemes to the total number of mimetic words showed their significance, validating their meaningful existence.

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