-가

See also: 가

Jeju

Etymology

See Korean 가 (-ga).

Particle

-가 (-ga)

  1. Synonym of -이 (-i, nominative case marker) used after words ending with a vowel.

Korean

Etymology 1

Unknown. It was not attested in texts from the 15th century, and its first attestation has been variously placed at 1572 C.E.[1] or mid-17th century[2].

Click for etymological details

It was initially of limited distribution and used in a complementary manner to 이 (-i). The development of its usage is as follows:[3]

  1. Since the mid-17th century: used after nouns ending in -i or -y,
    e.g. pwuli-ka ("mouth"), nay-ka ("scent"), poy-ka ("boat");
  2. Since the mid-18th century: used after nouns ending in vowels/semivowels other than -i,
    e.g. ca-ka ("one who"), soyngswo-ka, nwongso-ka ("farm work");
  3. During the end of the 18th century: used briefly in the form of double particle -i/yka after nouns ending in vowels/semivowels other than -i,
    e.g. to-yka ("road"), inkwu-yka ("population"), nwongso-yka ("farm work").

Various theories exist regarding its origin:

  1. Developed from the interrogative particle 가 (-ga);[4]
  2. Developed from the vocative case particle 하 (-ha)/아 (-a);[5]
  3. Developed from the connective ending 다가 (-daga);[6]
  4. Developed from the verb 가 (ga-, “to go”);[7]
  5. Borrowed from the Japanese nominative particle が (ga).[8]

Particle

가 • (-ga)

  1. Synonym of 이 (-i, nominative case marker) used after words ending with a vowel.
    내가 말했잖아. ― Nae-ga malhaetjana. ― I said it.
    어디가 좋을까? ― Eodi-ga joeulkka? ― Which place is best?

Etymology 2

From Middle Korean -가〮 (Yale: -ká), from Old Korean 去 (*-ka). In Old and Middle Korean, the word was not a suffix but an interrogative particle for polar questions, combining directly with nouns and taking the adnominal forms of verbs, whence ㄴ가 (-nga) and ㄹ까 (-lkka).

In the standard Seoul dialect of the language, the suffix is no longer used in isolation (nor reserved for polar questions); see "Related terms" below.

Suffix

가 • (-ga)

  1. (Gyeongsang) In the plain style, an interrogative suffix marking polar questions. It is only used for the copula 이다 (-ida, “to be”) and 아이다 (aida, “to not be”).
    아이가? ― Ai-ga? ― Isn't it?
    이기 니 이름이가? ― Igi ni ireum-i-ga? ― Is this your name?
    느그들이 성제가? ― Neugeu-deur-i seongje-ga? ― Are you brothers?
Usage notes
  • Its wh-word question equivalent is 고 (-go).
  • For non-copula stems, 나 (-na) is used.

Particle

가 • (-ga)

  1. (Gyeongsang) See above; sometimes appended directly to the noun, as in older forms of the language.
    이기 니 이름가? ― Igi ni ireum-ga? ― Is this your name?

Etymology 3

From Old Korean 果 (*-kwa). Unlike Middle Korean and most other dialects, Yukjin was apparently unaffected by the lenition to 와 (-wa) in intervocalic environments. Until the early twentieth century, the pronunciation was still 과 (-gwa), but it has since shifted.

Pronunciation

Particle

가 • (-ga)

  1. Yukjin form of 과 (-gwa, “with, and”)
  2. Yukjin form of 와 (-wa, “with, and”)
    • 2019, 곽충구 [Kwak Chung-gu], 두만강 유역의 조선어 방언 사전 [Dictionary of Korean Dialects of the Tumen River Area], volume II, Taehaksa, →ISBN, page 3717:
      내가 너느 야댜하는 쳐지다.
      Nae-ga neo-neu yadyahaneun chyeoji-da.
      You and I are in a relationship where we don't use honorifics.
    • 2019, 곽충구 [Kwak Chung-gu], 두만강 유역의 조선어 방언 사전 [Dictionary of Korean Dialects of the Tumen River Area], volume II, Taehaksa, →ISBN, page 3717:
      슬기가 여끼 따다.
      Seulgi-ga yeokki ttada.
      A leopard cat and a fox are different.
  3. (for a verb of speech) to
    • 2019, 곽충구 [Kwak Chung-gu], 두만강 유역의 조선어 방언 사전 [Dictionary of Korean Dialects of the Tumen River Area], volume II, Taehaksa, →ISBN, page 3717:
      동미가 말했지.
      Dongmi-ga malhaetji.
      I spoke to my friend.
    • 2019, 곽충구 [Kwak Chung-gu], 두만강 유역의 조선어 방언 사전 [Dictionary of Korean Dialects of the Tumen River Area], volume II, Taehaksa, →ISBN, page 3717:
      네가 무스거 물어보더야?
      Ne-ga museugeo mureo-bodeoya?
      What were they asking [to] you?
Usage notes
  • As mentioned above, the particle does not change depending on whether the noun ends in a vowel or not.
  • There is no potential for confusion with the subject-marking particle 가 (-ga) because it is not used in Yukjin.
  • Some speakers attach 가 (-ga) to both nouns being connected, as in Old or Middle Korean.

References
  1. 洪允杓, 主格語尾 「-가」에 대하여, 國語學 제3집, 1975.12, 65-91.
  2. 고광모, 주격조사 ‘-가’의 발달, 사단법인 한국언어학회 2013년 겨울학술대회 발표논문집, 2013.12, 69-78.
  3. 홍윤표, 近代國語硏究(Ⅰ), 태학사, 1994, pp. 412-413.
  4. 이숭녕, 주격(主格) '가'의 발달(發達)과 그 해석(解釋), 국어국문학 제19권, 1958.6, 53-57.
  5. 辛兌鉉, 鷄林類事·華夷譯語의 朝鮮 古語 續考, 한글, 1941.3, 9-2(통권84), pp. 1-2.
  6. Ramstedt, G.J., Studies in Korean Etymology, 1949, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura.
  7. 李承旭, 副動詞의 虛辭化, 진단학보, (51), 1981, 183-202.
  8. 鄭光, 主格 ‘가’의 發達에 대하여: 近代國語資料의 解釋을 中心으로, 우리문화, 2.
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