Abbreviation in korean cyber communication

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to argue that the various patterns of the Korean abbreviations should be interpreted as cultural icons. Leading approach to research: classification by types of abbreviations and theoretical analysis of their properties. The authors argue that the phonetic but also graphic nature of the Korean alphabet system makes the structure very innovative and unique. Moreover, the authors claim that along with the common borrowing of English abbreviations, the typological differences in writing produce unique abbreviations patterns, especially in Korean. As for the theoretical analyses, we take the examples from various papers on neologism and the online dictionaries. The theoretical significance of the work lies in the fact that the abbreviated expressions are considered as a unique tool of modern communication, especially for the young generation. In this regard, this study can also contribute to the typological research on writing systems. From a practical point of view, the result of this study can serve a reference material as well as a good basis for subsequent research on coinage of neologism.