The Discourse Function of ‘-nuntey’ in Child-Caregiver Interaction

Seoyeon Rim^*

^*Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts, Mokpo National Maritime University; 91, Haeyangdaehak-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Abstract

From a conversation-analytic perspective, this study examines how the Korean connective ‘-nuntey’ is used in interactions between children and caregivers. The ‘nuntey’-clause occurs not only in utterance-medial positions as a clausal connective but also in utterance-final positions without accompanying main clauses in actual conversations. Previous studies have identified two primary functions of ‘-nuntey’: a ‘background provider’ and a ‘contrast marker’. In this study, the analysis of conversations between children and caregivers shows that caregivers often use the ‘nuntey’-clause to explain why they cannot comply with a child's request or to repremand them for their behavior, which frequently leads to changes in the child’s behavior or intentions. In contrast, children use the ‘nuntey’-clause in "telling-my-side" utterances to describe their own actions or observations, often eliciting responses or praise from caregivers. This pattern refelct the nature of child-caregiver interactions, where the caregiver's primary role is to manage the child’s behavior, while the child’s main goal is to attract the caregiver’s attention.

아동-양육자 간 상호작용에서 사용되는 ‘-는데’의 담화 기능

임서연^*

초록

Vol. 40 No. 4 (2022.12)

Journal Abbreviation j. Korea Saf. Manag. Sci.
Frequency Published four times annually in March, June, September, and December
Doi Prefix 10.14353/sjk.
Year of Launching 1993
Publisher The Sociolinguistic Society of Korea

Indexed/Tracked/Covered By