Монгол, солонгос хэлний “хүрэх/닿다” хэмээх үйл үгийг танин мэдэхүйн түвшинд харьцуулан судлах нь

A Comparative Study of the Mongolian and Korean Verb “to touch/닿다 [dahda]” in the Cognitive level

Abstract

According to modern cognitive studies, Mongolian and Korean are both verb-centered languages in terms of typology. These languages typically do not use special words to indicate direction or spatial location; instead, such meanings are usually conveyed through the semantics of the verb itself. When this characteristic is viewed within the framework of complex linguistic structures, the development of metaphorical and extended meanings becomes clearly evident, providing insight into differences in Mongolian and Korean modes of thinking through practical examples.
For example, in Mongolian, the verb “хүрэх” (to reach) is abstracted from its original meaning of physical proximity or contact (to get close to or to touch), and this sense is used metaphorically to express internal feelings or sensations, such as “нойр хүрэх” (sleep reaches—meaning “to feel sleepy”) or “уур хүрэх” (anger reaches—meaning “to feel angry”). On the other hand, in Korean thought, such feelings are perceived as emerging from within and moving outward, and are thus expressed as “졸음이 오다” (sleep comes) or “화가 나다” (anger arises).
Moreover, while in Korean, the verb “닿다” (to reach or touch) is often used to express interpersonal contact or communication, in Mongolian, it is more commonly associated with the expression of sensations and emotional states. This observation highlights a distinct difference in how the two cultures conceptualize perception and emotion linguistically.