Bound Noun Han in Korean

This paper discusses the grammaticalization process of a bound noun han in Korean. Even though we find the typical characteristic of a bound noun, han has not been discussed much and categorized as a bound noun in general (Back and Mok 2018). Back and Mok (2018) recently examines the syntax and semantics of the bound noun han. Following their observations, I argue that the four different meanings of han are intertwined via grammaticalization. Specifically, the lexical noun han has acquired functional meanings (e.g., [+unfavorable] and a degree modifier) and became a bound noun. Syntactically, I argue that the functional meanings are reflected in N-to-n movement (c.f., Kim 2016a). The bound noun han is further reanalyzed as a Mod head with the subsequent movement into C and evolves into a subordinator.