Analysis of the Korean verb "na-ka-ta" ("to get out, exit") focuses on why an expression such as "kyengkicang-ey na-ka-ta" ("someone goes out/in to the sports arena") is acceptable only in the context that the person's entering the arena is for the purpose of a contest, while it becomes semantically anomalous if intended to express the situation in which a custodian goes into the arena for routine maintenance purposes. Dictionary meanings of the compound "na-ka-ta" are examined in comparison with "tul-e-ka-ta," and a general schema of the verb "na-ka-ta" is offered to delineate two social domains, public and private space. The notion of public space is then elaborated upon. Correspondence of the Japanese verb "de-ru" to Korean "na-ka-ta" is illustrated, and the Chinese ideogram"chu" (first tone) contained in Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korean lexical items is examined. It is concluded that what we generally understand as a set of selection restrictions associated with a specific lexical item such as "na-ka-ta" may not be lexical restrictions, but instead reflect unique ways in which native speakers of a language perceive certain states of affairs. Contains 13 references. (MSE)