-라

Jeju

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Suffix

라 (-ra)

1. Post-vowel and post-liquid allomorphic form of 으라 (-eura, imperative suffix).

Korean

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 라〮 (Yale: -lá), lenited form of 다〮 (Yale: -tá).

It is not clear why lenition only occurred at these specific environments. Vovin speculates that lenition occurred at intervocalic environments except at verbal morpheme boundaries when preceded by a "minimal vowel": ㅡ (Yale: u-) or ㆍ (Yale: o-). Hence lenition occurred after 더 (Yale: -te-), but not after ᄂᆞ (Yale: -no-). To explain why only the stem 이 (Yale: -ì-, “to be”, copula) triggers lenition and not the many Class H! verbs, all of whose stems end with a non-minimal vowel, Vovin suggests that all Class H! verbs were originally once closed-syllable stems with nasal or liquid finals. However, Vovin's arguments remain for the most part speculative.

Suffix

라 • (-ra)

1. Alternative form of 다 (-da, declarative suffix), found in the following environments:
   1. Directly after the stem of 이다 (-ida, “to be”, copula), whether present or elided, and its negative 아니다 (anida, “to not be”):
      1. Used in all indirect quotes (either explicit or implicit), before markers such as 고 (-go), 니 (-ni), 면 (-myeon), etc.

         뭐라고? ― Mwo-ra-go? ― What did you say?

         쟤가 누구라고? ― Jae-ga nugu-ra-go? ― Who did you say he was?

         이게 아니라고? ― Ige ani-ra-go? ― This isn't it?

         저게 사람이라니, 뭔 말이야? ― Jeoge saram-i-ra-ni, mwon mar-iya? ― That's a person? What do you mean?

         스펀지도 동물이라고 그랬어. ― Seupeonji-do dongmur-i-ra-go geuraesseo. ― They say a sponge is also an animal.

         나는 아니라고 그랬어. ― Na-neun ani-ra-go geuraesseo. ― I said that it wasn't me.

      2. (colloquial) Short for 라고 (-ra-go, alternative form of 다고 (-da-go) for the copulative stems), when not used sentence-finally.

         스펀지도 동물이라 그랬어. ― Seupeonji-do dongmur-i-ra geuraesseo. ― They say a sponge is also an animal.

      3. (dated, dialectal or very literary) Used directly after the stem in all environments. This was historically obligatory but is now dated.

         이는 효자가 아니라. ― I-neun hyoja-ga ani-ra. ― This is not a filial son.

         도를 모르거든 사람도 금수라. ― Do-reul moreu-geodeun saram-do geumsu-ra. ― If a man knows not the Way, he too is a beast.

   2. After 더 (-deo-, retrospective suffix), as 더라 (-deora).
   3. Optionally after 으리 (-euri-, prospective suffix), as 으리라 (-eurira).
   4. Used in 느니라 (-neunira).

Usage notes

• Note that 라 (-ra) cannot occur after 었 (-eot-) and 겠 (-get-), because both derive etymologically from 있다 (itda).

  Hence 이라고 (-i-ra-go), but 이었다고 (-i-eot-da-go), 이겠다고 (-i-get-da-go).

Particle

라 • (-ra)

1. Short for 라고 (-rago, post-vowel form of 이라고 (-irago, direct quotation marker)).

Etymology 2

From Middle Korean 라〮 (Yale: -lá).

Suffix

라 • (-ra)

1. because, since; used directly after the stem of 이다 (-ida, “to be”, copula), whether present or elided, and its negative 아니다 (anida, “to not be”). It is the equivalent of the infinitive 어 (-eo) for other stems.

   Synonym: 라서 (-raseo)

   유기농이라 그런지 많이 비싸다. ― Yuginong-i-ra geureonji mani bissada. ― It's very expensive, maybe because it's organic.

2. Only used in 아니라 (anira, “but rather”).

Usage notes

• Its interaction with other suffixes, such as 으옵 (-euop-), suggests that the underlying form of this suffix is actually 으라 (-eura). However, this form never actually surfaces because it only occurs after two vowel-final stems.

Etymology 3

From Middle Korean 라〮 (Yale: -lá); see the main entry for more.

Suffix

라 • (-ra)

1. Post-vowel and post-liquid allomorphic form of 으라 (-eura, imperative suffix).

Etymology 4

Compare dialectal 레 (-re) and 리 (-ri).

Particle

라 • (-ra)

1. (Hwanghae, Pyongan, Northern Gangwon) suffix used after words ending with a vowel.

   Synonym: (Standard Korean) 가 (-ga)

   • 2007, 황대화 [hwangdaehwa], 황해도 방언 연구 [hwanghaedo bang'eon yeon'gu, Study of the Hwanghae dialect], (북한) 강원도 이천군 [(bukhan) gang'wondo icheon'gun]: 한국 문화사, →ISBN:

     누구라 없니?

     Nugura eom-ni?

     Is someone there?

References