This study aims to reveal similarities and differences in the characteristics of honorifics used in both languages and raise awareness of honorifics by comparing and contrasting the honorific in Korean and Mongolian/Oirad dialects.
Korea and Mongolia have common cultural and linguistic, such as the same word order and similarities in grammar because they belong to the Altai tribe in terms of language. Nevertheless, the honorific in the Korean language is more developed than in Mongolian, so Mongolians who learn Korean are having difficulties.
In particular, Korean honorifics are classified into six grades according to sentence-closing endings. They are used in declarative, interrogative, imperative, request, exclamation sentences, and more. In contrast, Mongolian honorific is only shown in imperative sentences using various sentence-closing endings to honor or lower the other.
However, in the era of the National Revolution, class discrimination had to be eliminated, and the honorific was considered the language of feudal lords. From around 1920, Mongolians were prohibited from using the honorific, '-гтун'" sentence-closing ending. Hence, standard Mongolian speakers do not perceive honoring the other party by using honorificsin sentence-closing endings.
In comparison, the Oirad dialect, a western Mongolian dialect, always uses sentence-closing ending in interrogative and imperative sentences in colloquial style to honor or lower the other party, which does not appear in the standard Mongolian language.
Therefore, the Oirad dialect can help Mongolian learners of Korean to understand the Korean honorifics because the Oirad dialect frequently uses honorifics than modern Mongolian.
Both languages share a common point: honorifics of vocabulary that appear as nouns and verbs, but there are also differences.
First, the honorific for a subject is done by the pre-final ending, whereas the Mongolian/Oirad dialect does not have the pre-final ending. On the contrary, the subject can be indirectly exalted in the Mongolian language by using the in-person recursive ending. However, the Korean language does not have an in-person recursive ending.
Second, the honorific for an object is expressed using different adverbial terms, using '께' instead of '에게' and '한테.' However, the Mongolianlanguage does not have the adverbial form of honorific.
Third, the honorific appears in various forms in declarative, interrogative, imperative, request, and exclamation sentences in the Korean language. Nevertheless, in the standard Mongolian language, the honorifics only appear in imperative sentences and imperative and interrogative sentences in the Oirad dialect.
Fourth, in Korean, people usually call each other by name, title, and kinship term, but in the Mongolian/Oirad dialect, they usually use second-person pronouns or kinship terms.
Fifth, the postposition changes according to the subject of honorific in the Korean language. However, in the Mongolian/Oirad dialect, postposition does not change according to the honorific subject.