La función de los ideófonos en la literatura coreana
Abstract
Korean language is well-known for its wide use of onomatopoeia and ideophones. This is a very unique characteristic that greatly enriches its lexicon. These sound symbolic words are used in all different linguistic registers in order to add subtle detail, expressiveness, and rhythm to what is being conveyed. Although these words are indeed one of the most distinctive characteristics of Korean language, studies related to this topic are still limited to phonological or morphological researches. In addition, these words are often dismissed under a wrong stigma that categorize them as childish words or typical from the colloquial spoken language. This study proves the relevance of ideophones in one specific field: literature. It will analyze some extracts from a book written by one of the most prominent authors in contemporary Korean literature, in order to highlight the semantic detail, expressiveness, and rhythm provided by ideophones.
