• Journal of Korean Classical Literature and Education
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• no.32
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• pp.29-61
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• 2016

A joke (才談, 재담) is "the most interesting and witty language unit" in our speech. However, the search of a joke is still starting. Although joke are related to the witty and interesting talks, stories, songs and plays, the actual object of a joke is only the witty and interesting talk. A joke is witty talk that is interesting or laughter-inducing. Many Jokes can be found in the traditional Korean funny performing arts (演戱, 연희). This is because these art forms are performed in open yards, which necessitated amusing the audience, amusement, in its turn, required jokes. Jokes in the traditional funny performing arts can generally be classified as follows: 1) Jokes related to a situation: These include right words at a given situation, exaggerating words, diminishing words, deviancy words, and cause-effect words. 2) Jokes related to discourse: These include enumerating words, amplificatory words, contrasting words, fluently lying words, undeniable words, purposely unknowing words, and deliberately incorrect words. 3) Jokes related to vocabulary: These include synonym, similar words, changed word-ordering words, and incorrect words. 4) Jokes related to pronunciation: These include homonyms, and anti-homonyms. Although there may be other jokes, those presented above are typical ones. A joke is "the result that human being can achieve when he/she has overcome natural and social difficulties and is left with only a free and creative spirit." Jokes are necessary in all ages and everywhere. Today, more varied and high-level jokes can be created by developing the diversity of jokes in traditional funny performing arts. Also, I expect new sorts of jokes, because a joke always demands a creative spirit.