서강대학교

초록/요약

The purpose of this study is to examine the perception and the attitude on the use of nim after a personal name, such as “Lee Gihyeon-nim or Gihyeon-nim”, as an address term in Korea in gereral and especially in office environment. Nim is a dependent noun that is frequently used after titles or job positions and after a personal as an honorific term, but it has not been widely used as an address term until recently. This study shows that by using nim after a name (last name + first name or first name), it acts like ssi, which is also a dependent noun that is commonly used after a personal name, but nim is used as a higher level term compared to ssi. Nim was originally used after job titles, such as gwajang-nim or daeri-nim; however, during the past decade or so, Korean speakers started to use it after a personal name to express respect towards others. In order to explore how the use of nim has been generalized in Korea, I conducted a survey on perception and attitudes on the address term ‘name + nim’. All respondents were questioned whether the use of nim is accepted generally in Korea. Moreover, among respondents of the survey, those who responded that they are currently working or had a working experience at a company were surveyed on more detailed questions on the use of nim after a name in office environments. The purpose was to examine on the perception of name + nim used in these particular environments and if the use of address term affects work efficiency. The result indicate that nim after a name is quite generally used in Korea, and most people who have experienced using or hearing nim felt that name + nim appears familiar. Furthermore, office workers who responded that they use nim as an address term in the office environment claimed that they feel respected when they were addressed with name + nim. Also, they reported that they are expressing their respect towards when they are using name + nim. Most respondents who do not use name + nim as the main address term in the office environment claimed that they are positive on using name + nim because they can maintain horizontal relationship with co-workers and respect them. This thesis shall be meaningful in the following aspects: first, this research is probably the first deeper investivation of nim as an address term. Second, the use of name + nim as an address term in the office environment instead of job titles or positions if found to be a recent change.