This paper examines the history of Korean names, focusing on the structural characteristics and the literal meanings of those for kings and ordinary people. Roughly speaking, the Korean surname system traces its source to China. Historical records show that the Chinese were already using their family names around 1000 B.C. After a millennium or so, the Korean began to follow suit. Initially, however, surnames were in regular use among kings and their kin only: it was not until the late Shilla dynasty, around A.D. 800, that the commoners began to have Heir surnames. And yet, surnames still tended to be limited to men of noble birth, until around A.D. 1000. Though the Korean surname system may be said to have its origin in Chinese, there are no lack of native surnames that have as long a history, e.g., Hae, Bak, Sok, Sol, Ul, and Ol. Typical surnames of Chinese origin that are found during the late Shilla dynasty, around A.D. 900, include Jang (as in Jang Bogo) and Choi (as in Choi Chiwon). Unlike those of Chinese origin, typical Korean names during the age of Three Nations tended to allude to nature or natural phenomena, as can be witnessed in Bit 'light,' Balgum 'bright,' Nuri 'world,' and Soidori where soi means 'steel' and dol 'stone,' Other surnames abound that have to do with river, stream, field, prairie, and so on. King Muryong's original name was Sama, a variant of som 'island,' indicating where he was born. A person skilled in archery was called Jumong or Hwalbo. Baembo was so called because he 'crawls like a snake, baem,' In these last two examples, bo, as well as its variant bu, functions as a suffix, and is also found in Cochilbu, Isabu, Babo, Nolbu, Hungbu, etc. The tradition of using this kind of native Korean names has gradually disappeared, giving place to the names of Chinese style-although very recently we see an on-going movement toward using native names.
국제언어인문학회 [INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HUMANISTIC STUDIES IN LANGUAGE]
설립연도
2000
분야
인문학>언어학
소개
국제언어인문학회는 '언어를 통한 인문학 연구'의 필요성에 동감하는 여러 전공분야 학자들의 뜻을 담고 있습니다. 언어에 초점을 맞추는 것은, 다양한 전공분야의 참여에서 생겨날 수 있는 '이질적 집합'의 상황을 극복하기 위한 장치입니다. 현재로서는 작은 불씨를 지핀 것에 불과합니다. 그러나 이렇게 일구어진 불꽃이 새로운 학풍의 바람결에 커다란 섬광으로 빛나게 될 날이 올 것을 우리는 확신합니다. 우리의 학회와 학술지는 인문학 불변의 가치와 시대적 사명을 인식하는 국내외의 학자들을 향해 활짝 개방되어 있습니다. 특정 전공의 범위를 넘어서서 철학, 문학, 언어학, 종교, 역사, 문화, 예술 등의 시각에서 언어의 본질을 토론할 기회가 될 것입니다.