A Study on Style Shift betweenHonorific and Plain Language in Korean

Abstract

This study examines the mixed use of honorific forms (nophim-mal) and plain forms (pan-mal) by Korean speakers in task-based conversations. The data taken from ‘Mr. O Corpus’ relate to 20 pairs of Korean female speakers, 10 teacher-student (T-S) pairs and 10 student-student (S-S) pairs. A close examination of the data shows that most speakers alternated between the two forms, even within a single turn of talk, with partners with status differences. It seems that the frequent style shift shows the complexity of the phenomenon and the speakers’ sensitivity to the immediate context, as well as the societal norms that possibly constrain them. The results show that the speakers’ choice to use an honorific form or plain form has mainly four functions, three of which are interactional using honorific forms: (a) use of plain forms in self-directed or spontaneous talk, (b) use of honorifics to involve the addressee in the interaction, (c) use of honorifics to index identity, and (d) use of honorifics in confrontational interactions. Based on these results, it is claimed that Korean speakers strategically use honorific language as “relationship markers” in their interactions. (177)