An Analysis and Interpretation of Korean Vowel Systems

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This article discusses the various vowel systems of the Korean language, with consideration of the element theory of Government phonology. Korean vowel systems are different from one another, according to region and/or age variations. The differences are mainly in (i) whether or not the two non-high front peripheral vowels undergo neutralization, and (ii) whether or not the system allows the two front interior vowels. Overall, Korean vowel systems are shifting toward a reduction in the number of vocalic items.

It has been claimed that the shifts of the segmental system generally arise from the structural factors within the system. That is, the problem of phonological structure that can be seen in a vowel system is mainly due to the violation of the principle of vowel dispersion.

However, we claim that the case of Korean is somewhat different. As for the evolution of Korean vowel systems, we claim that it has not occurred by violating the principle of vowel dispersion, but rather by the tendency of constraint; Korean does not allow two different dependency relations between elements contained in a segment. More concretely, the constraint that A-head non-high front and back peripheral vowels are not allowed is emerging as a trend in Korean phonology. Another trend in Korean is the constraint whereby the fusion of the two elements I and U are not permitted. The former excludes a vowel from the front peripheral space, and due to the latter the two vowels /y/ and /ø/ are not present in the list of Korean vowels.

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