Relevance and processing in interpretation of null arguments in Korean: The interaction of context and processing effort

Huang (1984a) made a typological analysis of null subjects and objects based on the assumption that null subjects in embedded clauses can be coreferential with matrix subjects but null objects cannot. He developed his argument on the assumption that null objects are not ambiguous, appealing to pragmatic or discourse properties in those cases where null objects can be interpreted as coreferential with matrix subjects. However, it has been noted in various papers that Huang's analysis is very limited in scope and data interpretation.; In this study, Relevance Theory (Sperber & Wilson 1986) was used to explicate the interpretation of null arguments in Korean. Following the definition of relevance as the interaction of contextual effects and processing effort, we can explain why the subject-object asymmetry arises in some restricted data. In processing an utterance we construct a suitable context for it, and the construction of context depends on the effort of memory and the linguistic and psychological complexity of the utterance itself. Thus, the investigation of the interaction of context and least effort strategy reveals the linguistic realization of our thinking in particular ways and explains how pragmatic infelicity arises.; In sentences containing symmetrical verbs in embedded clauses we are likely to spend more effort in null object sentences than in the null subject sentences. However, it is also demonstrated that psychological verbs facilitate coreferential interpretation of null objects with matrix subjects. Further provision of various morphological cues also makes it difficult to maintain in Korean that null objects cannot be coreferential with matrix subjects.; In explaining which element is relativised between a null subject and a null object common sense knowledge alone has not been sufficient. By providing honorifics and tense and aspect, I showed how unacceptable sentences arise.; In combining two sentences into one, it was shown that experimental subjects tried to maintain the status of matrix subjects as a cue to the coherent meaning relation of the main and embedded clauses. It was also found that the tense distinction was a crucial factor in differentiating the interpretations of various cases of null objects.