Sohn is a linguist of great versatility, who has done extensive work in two fields of areal linguistics: (i) Korean and Japanese, and (ii) Micronesian languages (Ulithian, Woleaian, Kwara'ae, and others). To the languages in both of these groups he has applied methods and theories of phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and historical-comparative analysis. Not only does he cover these various "bread-and-butter" areas with equal skill, but he also manifests an adept approach to sociolinguistic issues and matters of language pedagogy. In treating various comparative problems, he further shows sensitive understanding of semantic and pragmatic values in English. .... By and large Sohn's work will be of general appeal both to theoretical linguists and to non-theory-oriented students of Korean (or to some extent Japanese), because "most analyses and accompanying discussions ... are predominantly data-based, without extensive involvement in the matters of abstract theoretical polemics." -, Lewis S. Josephs

PREFACE CHAPTER 1. PHONOLOGY AND WRITING SYSTEMS 1. Metathesis in kwara'ae 2. Surface and Deep Contrasts in Ulithian(with Byron W. Bender) 3. a-raising in Woleaian 4. An Orthographic Design for Woleaian 5. Romanization of Korean: A Cross-Phonemic Approach CHAPTER 2. SYNTAX, SEMANTICS, AND PRAGMATICS 6. A Re-examination of 'Auxiliary' Verb Constructions in korean 7. Modals and Speaker-Hearer Perspectives in Korean 8. Retrospection in Korean 9. Tense in Korean 10. Contractions as a Mechanism of Polysemic Breeding: A Device for Speaker Involvement in Korean 11. Theme-Prominence in Korean 12. Multiple Topic Constructions in Korean 13. Semantics of Compound Verbs in Korean 14. Case Incorporation in English Verbs with Reference to Korean Structure 15. Goal and Source in Korean Locatives with Reference to Japanese 16. Strategies of Indirection in Korean CHAPTER 3. HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES 17. The State of the Art in the Historical-Comparative Studies of Japanese and Korean 18. Relative Clause Formation in Micronesian Languages 19. Proto Oceanic Reflexes in Woleaian (with A. Tawerilmang) 20. Consonant Shifts and Subgrouping in the Sonsorol-Ulithi-Woleai Chain(with A. Tawerilmang, I. Langal, and C, Yangilmau) CHAPTER 4, SOCIOLINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY 21. Power and Solidarity in the Korean Language 22. Cross-Cultural Patterns of Honorifics and Sociolinguistic Sensitivity to Honorific Variables: Evidence from English, Japanese, and Korean (with Kyoko Hijirida) 23. Intercultural Communication in Cognitive Values: Americans and Koreans 24. Syntactic and Semantic Interference for Korean Adult English Learners 25. Patterns of American Students' Composition Errors in Korean BIBLIOGRAPHY