THE MEANINGS OF THE POLYSEMOUS VERB 잡다 (HOLD, GRASP) IN KOREAN

Abstract

A feature in the communicative culture of the Korean is the generation of numerous implications or implicit meanings through the use of polysemous words. Therefore, research on polysemous words in Korean has been around very early and each study has a different approach such as studying the classification of polysemous words, and distinguishing the differences between homonyms and polysemous words. One of such polysemous words with a high frequency of occurence that easily leads to confusion among foreigners learning Korean is the polysemous verb “잡다 (jab-da) – to hold, to grasp”. Based on the theoretical point of view of "classification of meanings in words with multiple meanings" of Vietnamese researchers, typically Mai Ngoc Chu (2015), Nguyen Thien Giap (2014), Phan Thi Nguyet Hoa (2009), the article considers the meaning of “잡다 (jab-da) – to hold, to grasp” in Korean as a verb. This is a polysemous word with 10 meanings, including one original meaning and nine derivative meanings. Basing on the similarity and proximity of the meanings, the writer synthesizes derivatives into five large groups with analyses of each illustrative example. The purpose is to help learners get an overview of the meanings of the word so that they can perceive and use it fluently and accurately in communication.