본 연구는 16~19세기 한글 간찰을 대상으로 각 시기별 한글 간찰에서의 처격 양상과 처격의 변화 과정을 통시적으로 분석함을 목적으로 하였다. 그리하여 16~19세기 한글 간찰에서는 처격이 ‘에’로의 확산이 아닌 처격 ‘의’로의 확산 과정을 보임을 살필 수 있었다. 일테면 16세기 중반 순천김씨 한글 간찰에서는 15세기의 처격인 ‘애/에/예’와 ‘/의’가 모두 쓰인 가운데, 1세대에서는 처격이 ‘:의=52.8%:15.8%’와 ‘애:에:예=7.7%:14.6%:8.9%’의 빈도율을 보이고, 2세대에서는 ‘:의=17.7%:46.6%’와 ‘애:에:예=4.4%:20.9%:11.1%’의 빈도율을 보인다. 이로써 이 한글 간찰에서는 15세기와는 달리 ‘애/에’보다는 ‘/의’가 더 많이 쓰인 가운데 1세대에서는 ‘’와 ‘의’ 중에 ‘’가 많이 쓰인 반면 2세대에서는 ‘의’가 보다 많이 쓰였음을 알 수 있었다. 17세기 초반 현풍곽씨 한글 간찰에서는 1세대에서는 ‘:의=1:57’의 빈도를, 2세대에서는 ‘:의=6:70’의 빈도를 보이는 등, 처격 ‘’는 1세대와 2세대 모두 약화됨을 보인다. 그리고 ‘애/에’ 또한 1세대에서는 ‘애:에=13.5%:34.8%’ 등으로 보이다가 2세대에 가서는 ‘애, 에’가 전체 5%의 빈도율만 보이는 등, ‘’와 함께 ‘애/에’도 급격히 약화됨을 보이는 데 반해, 처격 ‘의’는 전체 처격의 70% 정도가 쓰일 만큼 그 쓰임이 확산됨을 알 수 있었다. 17세기 중반~18세기 중반의 송규렴가와 송준길가 한글 간찰에서는 순천김씨와 현풍곽씨 한글 간찰에서 이미 생산성의 약화를 보인 처격 ‘애/에’는 발견되지 않는다. 반면 처격 ‘의’는 전체 처격의 70~80% 이상의 빈도율을 보일 만큼 높은 생산성을 보인다. 더 나아가 18세기 후반~19세기에 가서는 김성일파 종택 한글간찰에서의 19세기 초 · 중반 김진화의 딸들과 며느리인 진성이씨 한글간찰의 경우, 처격 ‘예’의 6.3%(9회)를 제외하고는 처격이 모두 ‘의’로만 쓰이고, 추사 김정희 한글 간찰에서는 처격의 98.8%가 ‘의’로만 쓰일 만큼 이 시기에는 처격이 대부분 ‘에’가 아닌 ‘의’가 쓰였음을 알 수 있었다.
This study is intended to examine the shapes of locatives and the change process of the Korean Letters for each era during the 16<SUP>th</SUP> to 17<SUP>th</SUP> Centuries. Thus, in the Korean Letters during the 16<SUP>th</SUP> to 17<SUP>th</SUP> Centuries, it was examined that the locatives used not to be expanded to ‘에’, but to ‘의’. For example, in a Korean letter written by Mrs. ‘Kim’ from ‘Suncheon Kim Kindred’ during around the middle of Chosun Dynasty, all of the locatives of the 15<SUP>th</SUP> Century, that is, ‘: 의=52.8%:15.8% (Frequency)’ and ‘애:에:예=7.7%:14.6%:8.9% (Frequency)’ used to be used during the 1<SUP>st</SUP> generation. During the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> generation, ‘애:의= 17.7%:46.6% and 애:에:예=4.4%:20.9%:11.1%’ used to be used. Therefore, in the Korean letters, ‘애:의’ used to be used more frequently compared to ‘애:에’ unlike the 15<SUP>th</SUP> Century. During the 1st Generation, ‘’ was used more frequently than ‘의’ among ‘애:의’. On the other hand, during the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Generation, ‘의’ was used more than ‘’. In the Korean Letters written by Mr. “Kwak” from the ‘Hyunpoong Kwak Kindred’, ‘애:의’ were used at the frequency of ‘1:57’ during the 1<SUP>st</SUP> Generation and at ‘6:70’ during the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Generation. Thus, locative of ‘’ was less used during the 1<SUP>st</SUP> and 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Generations. And also, ‘애:에’ were used at the frequencies of 13.5%:34.8% during the 1<SUP>st</SUP> Generation, but at only 5% for both locatives during the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Generation. So, the use frequencies of ‘애:에’ as well as ‘’ were reduced rapidly. On the other hand, the locative, ‘의’ was rapidly more used dominating around 70% of the total locatives during those eras. In the Korean Letters written by ‘The Family of Mr. Gyu-ryem Song’ and ‘The Family of Mr. Joon-gil Song’ during the period from the middle of the 17<SUP>th</SUP> Century to the 18<SUP>th</SUP> Century, ‘애:에’ which used to be less used in the Korean Letters by Mrs. Kim from ‘Suncheon Kim Kindred’ and Mr. Kwak from the ‘Hyunpoong Kwak Kindred’ were not used at all. On the other hand, the locative, ‘의’ used to be used at a frequency of 70 to 80% in their letters. Moreover, during late 18<SUP>th</SUP> Century to the 19<SUP>th</SUP> Century, in the Korean letters written by the nobles living in the head family house of the ‘Mr. Sung-il Kim Family Kindred’ and in the Korean letters written by the daughters of Mr. Jin-hwa Kim during early and middle of the 19<SUP>th</SUP> Century and by Mrs. Lee from ‘Jinsung Lee Family Kindred’ who was his daughter in law, except for the locative, ‘예’ at the frequency of 6.3%, only the locative, ‘의’ was used. And in the Korean letters written by Mr. Jung-hee Kim nicknamed by ‘Choosa’, 98.8% of the locatives was ‘의’. So, it was found that ‘의’ used to be mostly used rather than ‘에’ during that period.