Pragmatic effects of number and person in Korean pronominal system: Three uses of first person plural wuli

This paper examines the pragmatic effects of a combination of number and person in Korean pronominal system. Korean has specialized associative plural markers such ney, huy, and li. First person plural wuli is composed of first person pronoun wu and associative marker li. In this regard, wuli not only represents normal plurality, but also has special uses. Such special uses of wuli can be classified into opinion-presenting wuli, non-possessive wuli, and solidarity-expressing wuli based on their opposition relations, distributions, and pragmatic effects. Opinion-presenting wuli is used to display the effect of objectification and impersonalization. Non-possessive wuli indicates that the following referents are not individual possessions of the speaker. Solidarity-expressing wuli is used before a nominal to refer to the hearer as a device that shows solidarity. Opinion-presenting wuli is not usually used when a superior speaks to an inferior. Non-possessive wuli can be replaced by singular nay when the following kinship term is downward. Solidarity-expressing wuli functions as a minimal/dual inclusive. All these phenomena point to close relatedness between wuli uses and politeness.