# Quotatives 

*Relevant postpositions*: [-이고 (-iko)](http://flat.nert.georgetown.edu/ko/이고/), [-이라 (-ila)](http://flat.nert.georgetown.edu/ko/이라/), [-이라고 (-ilako)](http://flat.nert.georgetown.edu/ko/이라고/)

Korean quotative markers identify direct and indirect quotes as well as reported speech. These postpositions mark that participant arguments of the verbs of communication (e.g., saying, telling) and of cogitation (e.g., thinking and considering).

## [ss Content] 

Quotatives that mark the content of communication or cogitation is labelled with the [ss Content] label.
Unlike [ss Topic] that marks the subject matter of communication/cogitation, the quotative postpositions mark the _content_ of the information that is evidenced by the speaker or writer. 

[gex 001 "{철수는||chelsu} {집에||home} {갔다[p ko/고 Content]||go-quotative} {한다 say}." "They say that Cheolsu went home."]

[gex 002 "{나는||I} {독서가||reading} {중요하다[p ko/고 Content]||go-quotative} {생각한다 think}." "I believe reading is important."]

[gex 003 "{그는 he} {미혼이다[p ko/라고 Content]||single-quotative} {거짓말을 lie} {했다 said}." "He lied by saying '[I am] single'. Lit: He said lie 'single'."]

[gex 004 "{그는 he} {청주가 Chengcu} {아름다운 beautiful} {마을[p ko/이라고 Content]||town-quotative} {생각한다 think}" "He thinks that Chengcu is a beautiful town."]

[gex 005 "{누가 who} {들어오[p ko/라 Content]||enter-quotative} {했니 said-Q}?" "Who told you to enter?"]


## [ss Identity--Content]

For verbs of considering (e.g., consider, deem, acknowledge) or designation (e.g., call, name), we assign [ss Identity--Content] to the postposition that mediates a relationship between an entity and an identity (e.g., entity's identity, profession, name, label).

[gex 006 "{나는 I} {지나를 Gina} {천사[p ko/라고 Identity--Content]||angel-quotative} {생각한다 think}" "I consider Gina an angel"]

[gex 007 "{새 new} {엄마를 mom} {누나[p ko/라 Identity--Content]||`noona'-quotative} {부른다 call}" "(They) call (their) stepmom `noona' (older sister)"]

[gex 008 "{한국에서 Korea-at} {빌게이츠[p ko/라고 Identity--Content]||Bill Gates-quotative} {불리는 called-REL} {사람을 person} {아시나요 know}?" "Do you know the person who is called Korea's Bill Gates?"]

There is a slightly more idiomatic usage where the nominal marked is interpreted as a claim that does not meet up to the speaker/writer expectation of the label. This usage encodes a level of indignation on the part of the speaker.  

[gex 009 "{너 you} {그걸 that} {농담[p ko/이라고 Identity--Content]||joke-quotative} {하고있니 say}?" "Do you consider that a joke? (You calling that a joke?)"]

[gex 009 "{사람[p ko/이라고 Identity--Content]||human-quotative} {다 all} {사람인가 human-be}?" "Humans are all humans? (Can we consider all those we call humans (to, in fact, be bonafide) humans?)"]