호칭·지칭 대상을 높이는 ‘님’, ‘분’, ‘씨’의 변별적 특성

Abstract

This study aims to distinguish the characteristics of ‘nim', ‘bun,' and ‘ssi,' which are commonly used as honorific terms of address or reference in modern Korean. ‘-Nim' and ‘-bun' are honorific suffixes, but ‘-nim' is used as a personal honorific suffix, originally referring to people with close relationships to the speaker. On the other hand, ‘-bun' is a suffix used to show respect to various individuals who are not directly connected to the speaker. The suffix ‘-bun’ is a form made from ‘bun,’ which is a dependent noun, so various roots can be placed in front of it. Both ‘ssi' and ‘nim' are dependent nouns of honorific, but they have different functional roles. While ‘ssi' is used in objective and public situations, not as an honorific for individuals of high status, ‘nim' is used to express personal respect.