A Comparative Study Of "What" And "(

This paper compares the functions and usage of discourse marker Chinese word’shenme’ and Korean word’mweo’. Through the contrastive analysis, this paper reveals the functions of discourse markers of’shenme’and’mweo’and the similaritiesand differences between them. For its theoretical background, I studied the interrogative’shenme’,’mweo’based on theory of discourse markers and on the course of grammaticalization. On the basis of drama lines, the network novels and corpus analysis, this paper investigates the classification statistics of discourse marker’shenme’and’mweo’. Then comb and contrast the results.Findings from analysis results of this paper are as follows:firstly, the functions of discourse marker’shenme’,’mweo’are starting from the basic meaning of interrogati ve and expanding in the discourse. Secondly,’reinterpretation’,’metaphor’and’subjec tification’are the grammatical mechanism of’shenme’. And discourse marker’mweo’ not only experienced the change of the morphological feature from’mueot’ to’mwe o’, but also experienced the grammatical mechanism of’reinterpretation’and’subjecti fication’. Thirdly, the discourse functions of’shenme’,’mweo’are both originates in the meaning of interrogative, so they have much in common. When they are used al one, they have the same functions of re-inquiry and surprising. When they are used i n the sentences, they have functions of foregrounding, indeterminacy, hesitating, dela y and so on in common. There are also some differences between them. When’shen me’is used alone, it has the function of denying. When’mweo’is used alone, it ha s the function of response and when it used in the sentences, it has the functions of correction, challenging, the expression of self-confidence or assurance, flaunting, ne gating the proposal or require and focusing.