Do we have true existential NPIs?: on the issue of indefinite-based NPI formation

Abstract

The analysis of some of Korean NPIs seems to have caused much debate among professionals. This paper examines indefinite-based NPI formation with a question of whether Korean has existential NPIs identical to English any. Choi (2011) recently classifies two types of NPIs in terms of their quantificational force: one is an existential nwukwu, and the other is a universal amwu-to. I, however, argue that nwukwu itself does not exhibit its sensitivity to negation without overt NPI particles such as to or lato in negatives. I claim that the quantificational force Korean NPIs must be conditioned by thetypes of NPI particles with which the indefinite root is combined (Lee 1996, 1999, Lee et al. 2000, inter alia). More precisely, the particle to renders indefinites universal NPIs, as proposed by Choi, whereas lato apparently renders them existential NPIs. This paper also discusses that if the presence of NPI particles is not available, speakers try to ‘recover’ the type of the NPIs from the given contexts, which is regarded as pragmatic recoverability.