-더-

From Middle Korean 더〮 (-té), from Old Korean 如 (*-ta). The Middle Korean suffix (and presumably Old Korean, although data is rather lacking) was quite different in meaning, being closer to a simple imperfective aspect marker; see the Middle Korean entry for more. The shift to the modern nuances is first attested in texts from the late eighteenth century. 던 (-deon, past adnominal marker) preserves the original meaning.

• IPA^(key): [dʌ̹~də~dɯ]

더 • (-deo-)

1. The retrospective suffix, marking that the speaker (in declaratives) or the addressee (in interrogatives) has personally observed the action/state conveyed by the verb/adjective, or a fact from which the action/state could be inferred; that either this action/state was not taken by the observer, or the observer did not do so purposefully; and that this action/state occurred at a place or time removed from the current conversation. It adds a nuance that one is speaking of the action/state from the subjective viewpoint of an external observer.

   중국 분위기는 어떻더냐?

   Jungguk bunwigi-neun eotteo-teo-nya?

   What was the atmosphere/vibe in China like?

   (The addressee has personally observed the atmosphere in China, and this observation took place in the past.)

   어제 기분 좋아 보이더라. 무슨 좋은 일 있어?

   Eoje gibun joa boi-deo-ra. Museun joeun il isseo?

   You looked happy yesterday—did something nice happen?

   (The speaker has personally observed the listener being happy, and this observation took place in the past.)

   일기예보 보니까 내일은 또 춥겠더라.

   Ilgiyebo bonikka naeir-eun tto chup-get-deo-ra.

   I was looking at the weather forecast, and it looks like it's going to be cold again tomorrow.

   (The speaker has personally observed the fact from which tomorrow being cold can be inferred, and this observation took place in the past.)

   일어나 보니까 내가 술 열 병을 혼자 먹었더라고.

   Ireona bonikka nae-ga sul yeol byeong-'eul honja meog-eot-deo-rago.

   When I got up, I realized I had eaten ten bottles of alcohol all by myself.

   (The speaker did not intend to drink this much, and they are narrating an event which took place in the past.)

   그 말 듣고 있으니까 너무 화가 나더라.

   Geu mal deutgo isseunikka neomu hwa-ga nadeo-ra.

   When I was listening to what he was saying, I got so angry.

   (The speaker did not intend to become angry, and they are narrating an event which took place in the past.)

2. (Early Modern, parts of northern Gyeongsang or in the adnominal 던 (-deon)) The past imperfective aspect-marking suffix. [in conservative literary style, used up to the early 20th century]

   내가 먹던 빵을 먹으면 안 되지.

   Nae-ga meokdeon ppang-'eul meogeumyeon an doeji.

   You shouldn't have eaten the bread I was eating.

   • 1999, 이기갑 (Yi Ki-gap), “국어 방언의 시상 체계—그 분화의 역사— [The tense and aspect systems of Korean dialects: The history of divergence]”, in Eoneohak, volume 25, pages 185—210:

     니 어제 어디 갓더노? — 영덕 갓더라.

     Ni eoje eodi gat-deo-no? - Yeongdeok gat-deo-ra.

     Where were you gone yesterday? — I was gone to Yeongdeok.

     (Gyeongsang dialect, Yeongdeok)

• In Standard Seoul Korean, the suffix only appears fused before certain other suffixes (given in the "Derived terms" section below), to the point that some linguists doubt whether this should be analyzed as a discrete morpheme in the standard variety of Korean. The plain declarative 더라 (deora) is the most common form in which this suffix is encountered.
• In some dialects of Pyong'an and northern Gyeongsang, the suffix has innovated vowel harmony and appears as 다 (-da-) after yang-vowel stems.

• 으리 (-euri, conjectural marker)

From Old Korean 如 (*-ta).

• 러〮 (-lé) (after certain suffixes; see Usage notes)

• IPA^(key): /tə˦/, [də˦]

더〮 (-té)

1. An imperfective aspect marker, denoting an action or state in the past which is perceived as continuous, loosely equivalent to English "was [...]ing". When used together with the conjectural suffix 리〮 (-lí), it is loosely equivalent to English "would be [...]ing". Sometimes somewhat misleadingly called "retrospective" due to conflation with its modern descendant.
   • 14th century? (pub. 1493), “鄭瓜亭 (Jeonggwajeong)”, in 樂學軌範 (Akhak Gwebeom):

     넉시라도 님은 ᄒᆞᆫᄃᆡ 녀져라 아으 벼기더시니 뉘러시니ᅌᅵᆺ가

     neks-ilatwo nim-un hontoy nyecyela au pyekitesin_i nwu-ylesiningiska

     That even in spirit, I'd walk with my love! Oh, who was [being] the one who had been making that vow?

   • 1447, Grand Prince Suyang, Seokbo sangjeol 釋譜詳節 / 석보상절, page 6:24b:

     金(금)으〮로〮 ᄯᅡ해〮 ᄭᆞ〮로ᄆᆞᆯ〮 ᄢᅳᆷ〮 업〯게〮 ᄒᆞ면〮 이〮 東(도ᇰ)山(산)ᄋᆞᆯ〮 ᄑᆞ〮로〮리라〮 須(슝)達(따ᇙ〮)이〮 닐오〮ᄃᆡ〮 니ᄅᆞ샨〮 야ᇰ〯ᄋᆞ〮로〮 호〮리〮ᅌᅵ다〮 太(탱〮)子(ᄌᆞᆼ〯)ㅣ 닐오〮ᄃᆡ〮 내〮 로ᇰ〮담ᄒᆞ〮다라〮

     KÙM-úlwó stàh-áy skólwòm-ól pskúm ěpskéy hòmyén TWÒNG.SÀN-ól phólwólìlá SYÙ.TTÁLQ-í nìlGwótóy nìlòsyán yǎng-ólwó hwólíngìtá THÁY.CǑ nìlGwótóy ná-y lwóngtàm-hótàlá

     "If you carpet the earth in gold without a single gap, I will sell this hill [to you]." "I shall do as you say," said Sudatta. "I was joking," said the prince.

• As in the example above, the suffix could designate a purposeful action taken by the speaker in the very conversation itself. Therefore, there were none of the discourse restraints present in the modern suffix.
• The suffix shifts to 러〮 (-lé) after the copula 이 (i-) or the conjectural suffix 리〮 (-lí).
• The suffix merges with the modulating suffix 오〮 (-wó) to surface as 다〮 (-tá).
• The suffix triggers a subsequent declarative suffix 다〮 (-tá) to shift to 라〮 (-lá): 더〮라〮 (té-lá), not *더〮다〮 (*té-tá).

• Korean: 더 (-deo-)

• 최동주 (2002), “전기 근대국어의 시상체계에 관한 연구 [A study of the tense and aspect system of early Early Modern Korean]”, in Eomunhak, pages 119—152
• 박부자 (Park Bu-ja) (2018), “시상형태 {더}의 쟁점과 전망 [Points of discussion and prospective developments in the study of the tense/aspect-marking -te-]”, in Gugeosa yeon-gu, volume 27, pages 53—79