I looked back over the history of taekwondo by quoting from Gim Wanseop's work. Then I found this following sentences.
"After coming into power, he(Park Chung-Hee) began a powerful anti-Japan campaign under the banner of "wiping out Japanese culture". At this time,
many words from Japan were replaced by strange words of unidentified nationality. Korean martial art worlds also could not avoid this influence."
Even now I can see the articles that some Koreans are going to replace
the words from Japan. These articles appear on Korean newspapers' site
(I see Japanese version).
Though they have been "wiping out Japanese culture", there seems
to be something to be wiped out left. But it's also definite that there
are so many "Japanese words" in Korean language.
"I think there are the outright majority of idioms of Chinese characters from Japan in Korean language.
But it is difficult to investigate correctly because Korean people can not accept the fact. "
"When World War II ended, Korea must reorganize Korean language including
Japanese. From that time, it was a national policy to purge "Japanese".".
This is a quotation from "My anger and sadness against Korea"(Written by Toyoda Aritsune,
Published by Nesuko, 1996). He is a famous science-fiction writer. I have
once read some of his works over 20 years ago. He has became familiar with
Korea without my knowledge. He had even acquired Korean language.
Following descriptions are mainly based on this book.
Korean people had been accepting many "Japanese words" under
Japanese rule(1920-1948). Korean government or some activists have been
trying to purge these words. But even now many words are widely used.
These were only a small part of all "Japanese words".
We can categorize these words into some groups.
1. The words came from Japan with modernization and economic development
(Words about modern concepts, industries, technologies, economy, military
and so on)
In the Meiji Period(1868-1912), Japan imported many modern concepts and technologies from the United States
or Europe. Japanese people were translating such words into Japanese. For
example, economy, science, physics and religion. Most of them were created as Chinese
character idioms, which were imported into Korea, and now used.
(Exactly speaking, Korean students did not learn Chinese characters today.
Chinese characters became little-used, and only hangul characters(phonogram
) are used in many cases. Then many Koreans do not know original Chinese
characters. They know only pronunciations of them.
There are many Chinese characters which have Korean unique pronunciations.
And forgetting original Chinese characters leads to forgetting words' origins. )
Meaning of the word
(Words from Japan) |
Japanese pronunciation |
Korean pronunciation |
Remarks |
Economy
(経済) |
Kei-zai |
Kyonje |
Some of them were created by educators' or thinkers' exertions in the Meiji
Era. For example, Fukuzawa Yukichi. They created Shuu-kyou(religion), Ka-gaku(science)
and so on. Such words were needed as translations. They were created for
understanding modern concepts. Not a few of them are also used in China.
(For that matter, the name of China, "People's Republic of China" consisted of Chinese characters' idioms
which made in Japan (but "China").) |
Science
(科学) |
Ka-gaku
|
Kahaku |
Physics
(物理) |
Butsu-ri |
Mururi |
Religion
(宗教) |
Shuu-kyou |
Chongyo |
Newspaper
(新聞)
|
Shin-bun |
Shinmun |
Battleship
(戦艦) |
Sen-kan |
Chonamu |
|
Cuiser
(巡洋艦) |
Junyou-kan |
Suniyanhamu |
|
Destroyer
(駆逐艦) |
Kuchiku-kan |
Kuchukuhamu |
|
President
(社長) |
Shacho |
Sajan
|
|
Chief director
(専務) |
Senmu |
Chonmu |
|
Department director
(部長) |
Bucho |
Pujan |
|
Manager
(課長) |
Kacho |
Kuwajan |
|
Attendant
(係員) |
Kakariin |
Kewon |
|
Booking clerk
(予約係) |
Yoyakugakari |
Ieyakuke |
|
Company limited
(株式会社) |
Kabushikigaisha |
Chushikufehsa
|
|
Consortium
(組合) |
Kumiai |
Chohabu |
|
Subcontractor
(下請) |
Shitauke |
Hachon |
|
Big sale
(大売出) |
Ohuridashi |
Tehmehchuru
|
Some "Japanese" words had the same or similar pronunciations also in Korean language.
But today Korean people intentionally use more different
pronunciations from Japanese. For example, discunt(waribiki),
cancel(torikeshi),reserved(kashikiri) and so on. . (Many Chinese characters
have multiple pronunciations both in Korean and in Japanese. )
Though Korean words are same Chinese characters as Japanese, different
pronunciations may relieve Korean people because Korean people don't have
to be conscious of their origin. Same applies to "kumdo".(They don't want
to call Kendo Kendo for a same reason.) Now Korean people are more and
more forgetting Chinese characters, and they have less and less oppoetunities
to know their origin. In a manner, this is chronic disease of many Korean
people. |
Discount
(割引) |
Waribiki |
Harin |
Salesroom
(売場) |
Uriba |
Mejan |
Reserved
(貸切) |
Kashikiri |
Tehjoru |
Cancel
(取消) |
Torikeshi |
Chuiso |
Payment
(支払) |
Shiharai |
Chiburu |
|
Procedure
(手続) |
Tetsuduki |
Susoku |
|
Endorsement
(裏書) |
Uragaki |
Iso |
|
Multiple pickup
(相乗) |
Ainori |
Hapusun |
|
Check-in
(搭乗手続) |
Toujoutetsuduki |
Tapusunsusoku |
|
Home appliance
(家庭電気製品) |
Kateidenkiseihin |
Kajonchongichepumu |
|
Place
(場所) |
Basho |
Chanso |
|
Job site(Scene)
(現場) |
Genba |
Hyonjan |
|
Fugitive warrant(Wanted)
(指名手配) |
Shimeitehai |
Chimiyonsupeh |
|
There leaves an unexpected word which still has the same Chinese characters
and pronunciation as Japanese language. The word is "Yakusaku"
which means promise. This pronunciation is no difference from Japansese.
I can not believe Korean people had no word which meant promise before
Japanese rule, but this makes me feel something mysterious. Then I heard
won(Korean unit of money) was a pronunciation of Japanese old yen(Chinese
character). But officially, won has no Chinese character. Is this because
Korean people were unwilling to be conscious of its Japanese origin?
This may show one of the real reasons that Korean people repealed Chinese character
education program. They might want to save their fantasy.
2. The words came from Japan with Japanese things or culture
The words of this group often keep the same pronunciations as Japanese.
Meaning of the word
(Words from Japan) |
Japanese pronunciation |
Korean pronunciation |
Remarks |
One of Japanese noodles.
Soba is another kind of Japanese noodles.
(うどん) |
Udon |
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
Korean people created the word, "kukusu" for this. But "kukusu"
is used only for Korean unique noodle. |
A wet towel for wiping hands before a meal.
(おしぼり) |
Oshibori
|
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
Korean people created "murusugon" for this. But frequency in
the use of "murusugon" is no different from oshibori. |
Disposable wooden chopsticks. It is necessary to split apart a pair of chopsticks before using.
(わりばし) |
Waribashi |
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
Korean people created the word of "sodokucho", but waribashi
is used more frequently. |
No explanation needed.
(すし) |
Sushi
|
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
Korean people created the word of "chobabu". But Korean people can understand "sushi". |
Japanese bowl
(どんぶり) |
Donburi
|
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
The word "toppabu" has same meaning. |
A meal of rice topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet, egg.
(カツ丼) |
Katsudon |
Kasudon |
|
A kind of pickles
(沢庵) |
Takuwan |
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
|
A martial art developed in Okinawa.
(空手道) |
Karatedo |
Konsudo |
Korean people modefied Karate, and named taekwondo. |
Splitting up one group into two teams(one team is a "red" team,
another team is a "white" team)
(紅白) |
Kouhaku
|
Genpei
(Formerly, this was also used in Japan.) |
Genpei comes from Genji and Heishi. In the 12th century, both were the
powerful Samurai's families of Japanese Emperor's blood, and they had been
struggling for power over the generations. "White" means a flag
of Genji, and "Red"means a flag of Heishi. (At last, Genji defeated
Heishi, and established first feudal government in Japan.) In Japan, Genpei
itself is a dead language(exactly, dead pronunciation(reading)). At Kendo
matches, umpires use white and red flags, but Genpei sounds like Japanese
very well. Is this the reason why Korean people don't want to use white
and red flags in Kendo? |
It is needless to say that Kendo(Korean pronunciation: kumdo) falls into this group.
3. The words came from Japan, but wiped out
In the meantime, some words had become dead ones in Korea because of "wiping
out Japanese culture".
Meaning of the word
(Words from Japan) |
Japanese pronunciation |
Old Korean pronunciation |
Remarks |
Raw seafoods which are thinly sliced into pieces
(刺身) |
Sashimi |
(Same pronunciation as Japanese) |
Korean people now use "feh" of another Chinese character.
Feh means dishes of shredded raw meat. |
Exit
(出口) |
Deguchi |
Churugu |
Korean people use "naganungo" which is a native Korean language. |
Check
(小切手) |
Kogitte |
Sochurusu |
Korean people now use "supyo" of other Chinese characters. |
|
