Like I said several posts back, recently I’ve been reading a lot of books on Korean history, and in reading these books I’m discovering quite outstanding chunks of vocabulary I had previously be largely unaware of. Today I present unto you, a list of alternate words that one would have to use when talking to or about a king.
“Say what?!”
Korean like Japanese (and I’m sure some other languages) has different levels of respect reflected in their speech so that one would not make a suggestion to a kindergarten student the same way they would make a suggestion to their boss at work. To this end there are from time to time, completely different words meaning the same thing that one would use to different people. A current example that comes to mind quickly is the verb “to eat.” If I were to talk about eating with someone of a lower or equal social status to myself I could use the word “먹다,” but if I were speaking with someone social higher than myself I would have to use the word “잡수다.”
Confused? Good…so am I! Anyhow back in the day the person at the top of the social status pyramid was the king. Therefore there was a whole set of alternative vocabulary that existed to talk about the junk the king was up to. So here, for your enjoyment and mine is a list of assorted kingly words from the Chosun period (and possibly earlier, but the book I learned about them in only was talking about the Chosun period).
So let’s look at some words that you must know in the event that you happen to meet any Chosun-era royality.
- English - King - Standard Korean
- Body - 옥체 (玉體) - 몸
Face - 용안 (龍顔) - 얼굴
Forehead - 액상 - 이마
Eyes - 안정 (眼睛) - 눈
Sweat - 한수 - 땀
Tears - 안수 - 눈물
Snot - 비수 - 콧물
Lips - 구순 (口脣) - 입술
Hand - 어수 (御手) - 손
Blood - 혈 (血) - 피
Shit - 매화 - 똥
Fart - 통기 - 방귀
Food / Rice / Meal - 수라 (水刺) - 밥
Chair - 용상 (龍床) - 의자
Clothes - 용포
Of all the words I think my personal favorite would have to be 통기. Seriously, why would anyone be rappin’ with the king about ripping ass? I would assume that a royal fart would be kind of like a fart released by one’s conservative grandfather in that you just kind of ignore it and pretend it didn’t happen. Anyhow if for some reason you know any other regal words release the compassion and leave a comment.
This list originally appeared in Korean in the book 「경복궁에서의 왕의 하루」 written by 청동말굽. Low quality English translation done by yours truly.
Classic
My G/f bought a dog last year and named it after a cartoon character…..apparantly called Tongki!!
I cant wait to get home and tell her she has called her dog fart!!
Comment by Thirsty — May 17, 2006 @ 16:19 pm
There was a Korean cartoon character (actually Japanese originally) named 통키, so she wasn’t wrong.
Comment by Wyatt — May 17, 2006 @ 22:41 pm
와이엇 진짜 모르는게 없네요 통키도 알고
Comment by Jay Lee — May 18, 2006 @ 5:21 am
I know 피구왕통키 because my wife is / was all about it too. It must have been a super popular show.
Comment by Wyatt — May 19, 2006 @ 4:50 am
Just thought I’d contribute a little Chinese for you:
비수 : 鼻水 nose water
한수 : 汗水 chinese for sweat
안수 : 眼水 eye water
액상 : 額上 forehead up
통기 : 通氣 through air
Comment by daeguowl — May 20, 2006 @ 7:01 am
Bonus~
I figured that 비수 and 안수 would have been written in that way but wanted some proof before I posted it.
Comment by Wyatt — May 20, 2006 @ 7:58 am
I should mention that 通氣 is purely an educated guess.
Also thinking about it I’m going to say that 용포 will be 龍袍
Comment by daeguowl — May 21, 2006 @ 7:29 am
Hmmm, my super-sized Chinese dictionary translates 옥체 as:
1. (honour) your person, your health
2. (literary) the naked body of a beautiful woman
Not sure what to make of that!
Comment by daeguowl — May 21, 2006 @ 7:35 am
That’s pretty outstanding. My Korean dictionary simply listed it as “the body of the king” or something along those lines…nowhere near as awesome as the second definition.
Comment by Wyatt — May 21, 2006 @ 8:14 am
I think there is great potential in 어 (御)
My chinese dictionary lists the following phrases:
어보(?) - 寶 - imperial seal
어필 - 筆 - imperial brush/handwriting
어사 - 賜 - bestowed by the emperor
어도 - 道 - a road for the imperial carriage
어가 - 駕 - imperial carriage
어림군 - 林軍 - imperial guards
어로 - 路 - imperial road
어산방 - 산房 - imperial kitchen
어의 - 醫 - imperial doctor
어용 - 用 - for imperial use
어원 - 苑 - imperial garden
Plus a couple of others that I couldn’t figure out korean pronunciations for……seems like your average King was just speaking Chinese
Comment by daeguowl — May 21, 2006 @ 8:40 am
Dude, What is this outstanding dictionary that you have?
Comment by Wyatt — May 21, 2006 @ 15:49 pm
I did a Chinese undergrad degree so I have all kinds of great chinese dictionaries the coolest of which allows you to look up words using the second charadter in a phrase rather than the first. I also managed to pick up some rather interesting North Korean propaganda while out there and a poster of Kim Il-Sung
Comment by daeguowl — May 22, 2006 @ 10:29 am
Note to self: Go to China to buy dictionaries and North Korean propaganda posters.
Comment by Wyatt — May 22, 2006 @ 12:36 pm
Korean does not use ?포for clothes. Just to remind you,
Comment by Jason Lee — September 16, 2007 @ 8:38 am
Regular people don’t…kings did.
Comment by Wyatt — September 16, 2007 @ 17:40 pm