9 The Adjective Class in Korean 233Unlike certain nouns that are reduplicated for plurality (e.g. dp-dp 'houses', kos-
kos 'places'), verbs and adjectives do not usually participate in reduplication. How-
ever, hundreds of verbs and adjectives have derived from reduplicated sound sym-
bolic stems compounded with -hata. Most such stems are native, but some SK
words are also found. Reduplicated verbs denote repeated or continuing actions or
processes, whereas reduplicated adjectives denote continuing state.
(17) Verb: huntul-huntul-hata (swing-swing-do) 'swing, sway,
rock'
khwung-khwung-hata (bang-bang-do) 'bang'
thwutel-thwutel-hata (grumble-grumble-do) grumble'
Adjective: mikkul-mikkul-hata (slippery-slippery-be) 'slippery'
netel-netel-hata (tatters-tatters-be) 'tattered,
ragged'
sayng-sayng-hata (life-life-be) 'lively' (SK)
A difference between adjectives and verbs appears in the former's ability and
the latter's inability to form adverbs. A common adverbializer suffix is -i, as in
kkaykkus-i (clean-ly) 'cleanly', ttattus-i (warm-ly) 'warmly', noph-i (high-ly) 'high-
ly', manh-i (much-ly) 'a lot', and kiph-i (deep-ly) 'deeply'. Such adverbial derivation
is not possible from verbs.
3.2. SYNTACTIC PROPERTIES
As predicate head, Korean adjectives grammatically function as intransitive verbs
in many ways, so much so that Martin (1992) and Martin and Lee (1969) call them
'descriptive verbs' (adjectives) in contrast to their 'processive verbs' (verbs). While
adjectives and verbs share a host of syntactic properties, there are characteristic
differences too.
First, one sure test that does not allow any exception is that only verbs are allowed
to be made progressive with the construction -ko issta (-and exist) 'be -ing'.
(18) Verb: nulk-ko issta
get.old-and exist
'be getting old'
Adjective: *kippu-ko issta
happy-and exist
'being happy'
Second, adjectives cannot occur in resultative construction with the phrase -ela
issta (-INF exist)'be in the state of, while intransitive verbs can, as illustrated in
(19). (Like adjectives, transitive verbs cannot be used in this construction for dif-
ferent reasons.)
(19) Verb: hakkyo-ey ka-a issta
school-to go-iNF exist
'went to school and is there now'