Shifts and Standardization of Language Patterns in Korean Old Vernacular Epistles (언간, 諺簡, ŏn'gan)

This presentation examines the evolution and normatization of formulaic language in Korean vernacular epistles (ŏn’gan, 언간, 諺簡) from the late Chosŏn Dynasty (1392–1910). Drawing on a diachronic corpus of letters from the 15th to the 19th centuries, alongside instructional letter-writing manuals (ŏn’gandok, 언간독, 諺簡牘), this study analyzes the dynamic interplay of three key linguistic features: conventionality, repetition, and ellipsis. It argues that these patterns did not operate in isolation but constituted a synergistic system that progressively shifted from flexible, contextdependent expressions toward fixed, recognizable epistolary conventions. The analysis reveals how conventional openings and closings were solidified through repetition by individual writers, creating personal and familial formulas, while the high predictability of these phrases enabled the frequent use of ellipsis for communicative efficiency. Framed through the lens of “communities of practice,” the research demonstrates that this process of normatization was not a top-down imposition but emerged organically from recurrent social interaction, culminating in the codification seen in 19th-century manuals. Ultimately, this study illuminates the sophisticated linguistic strategies used in premodern Korean correspondence and charts the development of a distinct vernacular epistolary style.