On Korean progressive/perfect constructions

Abstract

It is well-known that the −ko iss- form in Korean is ambiguous, being interpreted as either a progressive reading or a resultant state reading. The primary claim of this article is that −ko iss- is, in fact, six-way ambiguous. This ambiguity arises from the interplay of three factors: the ambiguity of −ko, the ambiguity of iss-, and the optional presence of the light verb v*. The morpheme −ko is ambiguous between ‘simultaneous’ (+Simul) and ‘non-simultaneous’ (−Simul) readings. When used as an aspect marker, −ko_[+Simul] denotes the in-progress state of an event, while −ko_[−Simul] indicates either a resultant state or a continuative state of the event or state. Meanwhile, iss- can be interpreted either as a raising predicate or as a control predicate. Furthermore, the −ko iss- form can optionally co-occur with the light verb v*. Given these ambiguities, there are theoretically eight possible −ko iss- constructions. However, this article shows that only six of these are attested, as some combinations result in pragmatic anomaly. In accounting for the −ko iss- form, this article demonstrates that Korean progressive and perfect constructions share a striking similarity with their English counterparts, as both rely on the same underlying mechanism.