A Research on the Spoken Language in Korean Voices from Berlin: Focusing on Phonological and Morphological Features

20세기 초 베를린 한인 음원의 음운과 형태

The aim of this paper is to research phonological and morphological features in Korean Voices from Berlin. The Korean Voices from Berlin was recorded in 1917 at Berlin by 5 Korean prisoners engaged in World War I, some of them came from North Hamgyeong Province, the others came from Pyeongan Province, therefore these data show a North Korean regional dialect. The data are composed of three materials, counting numbers, reciting scriptures and singing folksongs. The results of this research are as follows. 1) The consonant system of Korean voices is similar to standard Korean. The 19 consonants are classified according to 5 manners of articulations and 5 points of articulations. 2) The liquid /l/ has three allophones, [ɾ] appeared in an onset position, [l] in a word medial coda position or preceded by [l], [ɹ] in a word final coda position. 3) The vowel system of Korean voices is similar to early 20th Korean's. It has 8 monophthongs, /a, ʌ, o, u, ɯ, i, e, ${\varepsilon}$/. 4) The 1 to 10 numbers in Korean voices are similar to Middle-Korean numerals. 5) The genitive particle '/ɯi/의' is pronounced [i], [ɯ], [${\varepsilon}$], especially [ɯ] is appeared in Sino Korean. 6) The /l/-deletion of conjugations are similar to Middle-Korean, /l/ deletion always occurred, if [+cor] consonants are followed.