한국어와 미얀마어 미각 표현의 문화언어학적 연구 = A Cultural Linguistic Study of Taste Expressions in Korean and Myanmar

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

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다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study compares six basic taste expressions in Korean and Myanmar—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy, and astringent—to examine how sensory experiences are linguistically encoded and culturally interpreted. Drawing on a cultural linguistic framework, the analysis investigates dictionary definitions and selected usage patterns to explore how taste meanings extend beyond physical sensation into emotional, relational, and culturally grounded conceptual domains.
The findings indicate that Korean taste expressions tend to develop metaphorical extensions linking sensory experience with emotion and social evaluation. In particular, sweetness is associated with intimacy and comfort, while astringency is often used to characterize interpersonal distance or situational incompleteness. These patterns reflect cultural orientations shaped by fermentation-based food practices and a strong sensitivity to relational contexts in Korean society.
By contrast, Myanmar taste expressions are primarily organized around the concrete properties of natural ingredients and bodily sensations. Although sweetness and sourness show relatively direct associations with positive and negative emotions, other taste categories remain largely descriptive. Notably, the extension of astringency to visual or bodily states illustrates a sensory orientation in which taste meanings readily shift across perceptual modalities rather than toward social or relational evaluation.
These cross-linguistic differences suggest that mismatches in sensory meaning may pose challenges for Myanmar learners in interpreting Korean taste-related expressions. Accordingly, the study highlights the importance of pedagogical approaches that explicitly address the sensory–emotional–cultural linkages underlying taste expressions in Korean.