Japanese/Korean Linguistics

This paper investigates verb reduplication (VR) in Japanese, focusing on three key properties: (i) the obligatory insertion of the light verb su, (ii) iterative aspectual meaning, and (iii) total reduplication of the verbal stem. Drawing on the framework of Distributed Morphology, I argue that VR is mediated by an aspectual head (Asp) that projects between vP and VoiceP. This head simultaneously blocks head movement (triggering su insertion), introduces the [iterative] aspectual feature, and undergoes morphological reduplication via a RED morpheme. The analysis accounts for the syntactic, semantic, and morphophonological properties of VR and extends to related constructions like hito-V compounds. The findings contribute to our understanding of aspectual morphology and the interaction between syntax and morphology in Japanese.