The use of the double form in Korean discourse

This paper addresses the use of the so-called double form –essess in Korean, which refers to the doubling of the suffix –ess. In the absence of much research attention on the double form compared to that devoted to the single form, this paper explores how the double form is used by ordinary speakers in contemporary Korean discourse. Language data collected from authentic corpora are analyzed, the manner in which different modes of communication, namely writing and speaking, affect the use of the double form is investigated, and the possible causes for any differences are discussed. The study analysis reveals that the double form is deployed for a wider variety of functions than previous research has assumed, while supporting the discontinuity sense as the overarching meaning of the double form. On the other hand, the two types of discourse show a discrepancy in terms of the distribution of these functions. The most frequently occurring function in written discourse is the double past sense, compared to the discontinued simple past function in the spoken discourse. This discrepancy in the most frequent function in the two corpora is attributed to the different natures of the discourse. The discontinuity sense, which is the essential meaning of the double form, comes from the intensification of the pastness involved in the single form.