To be Korean... Lankov Andrey Nikolaevich

Why is Korea called "Korea"?

Korea has many names. Despite the fact that in almost all languages ​​of the world this country is called approximately the same - “Korea”, “Coria”, “Korea”, etc., only foreigners show such unity. Over the centuries, the Koreans themselves and, at the same time, their closest neighbors have used a variety of names for their country.

Even now, North and South Korea have different names. I don’t mean the official names of these states at all; the term “Korea” itself sounds differently, which, of course, is included in both the name of the North and the name of the South. In Germany, both East and West Germany included the word Deutchland in their official name. In Korea, things are different: North Korea is called “Joseon” (officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Joseon, traditionally translated into Russian as “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”), and South Korea is called “Hanguk” (officially the Republic of Hanguk, Russian translation is "The Republic of Korea"). Indeed, these names, even by ear, have nothing in common with each other. How did this happen?

The origins of this situation lie in the affairs of bygone days. Once upon a time, about three thousand years ago, certain tribes lived near the northeastern borders of China, the distant ancestors of modern Koreans. They, of course, did not know how to read and write, because in those days only a few residents of a few countries mastered this art, but they called themselves somehow. Over time, these tribes began to unite into unions and gradually a principality arose there, its level more or less reminiscent of Kievan Rus in the 9th century, before the arrival of the Rurikovichs. This happened about two and a half or three thousand years ago. True, many nationalistic Korean historians claim that this happened much earlier, but they do not provide any serious evidence (except for patriotic enthusiasm and the belief that “Korean means ancient”), so we’d better stick to the facts.

Around the 5th century BC The Chinese also learned about this principality. They found out and wrote down its name in those Chinese characters that sounded more or less similar to this name. Two characters were chosen for this, which in modern Chinese, in its northern (Beijing) dialect, are pronounced as “chao” and “xian”. In modern Korean, accordingly, these same characters are read as “cho” (meaning, among all other things, “morning”) and “sleep” (it also has several meanings, one of them is “freshness”). And so it happened - “The Land of Morning Freshness”, the poetic name of Korea, which probably anyone who has visited it at least once knows about. It really does sound quite good, but the problem is that this wonderfully beautiful phrase has nothing to do with the original name of the ancient Korean tribes. The fact is that Chinese characters, which (along with their writing) are also used by Koreans and Japanese, convey not only the sound of a word, but also its meaning, so absolutely any character necessarily has at least some meaning. Since there are no cases (and, strictly speaking, no parts of speech) in ancient Chinese, this means that any arbitrary combination of hieroglyphs, including any transcription of a foreign name written in Chinese hieroglyphs, can always be “translated” based on these meanings. For example, the Chinese call Moscow “Mosyke”, which means something like “calm cutting of cereals”, but it is clear that neither with cereals (“ke”, another, more common meaning is “science”), nor with cutting (“ sy"), the Chinese name of the Russian capital has nothing to do with “calmness” (“mo”). Simply, in modern Chinese, these hieroglyphs sound similar to the name of the mother throne, so they were used - according to the principle of a rebus. Using the same rebus principle, Chinese scribes three thousand years ago wrote down a certain ancient Korean name unknown to us in two similar-sounding Chinese characters.

In addition, we must take into account that the pronunciation of hieroglyphs did not remain constant: over the centuries it changed, and quite significantly. After the Koreans borrowed Chinese characters, their pronunciation in the Korean language also began to evolve, and in the end the Korean pronunciation became very distant from both the ancient Chinese original and the modern Chinese reading of the same characters. True, modern techniques make it possible to approximately reconstruct ancient Chinese pronunciations, so through complex calculations linguists have established that three thousand years ago the two hieroglyphs in question were read approximately as “*trjaw” and “*senx” (recorded in phonetic transcription, asterisk “ *" means that the word has been reconstructed). As you can see, there is little in common with their modern readings! Thus, the name unknown to us, once written down in these hieroglyphs, should have sounded vaguely similar to “Tryausenkh”. However, now it is almost impossible to understand what it actually meant.

I talked about the problems with the “Land of Morning Freshness” in such detail because all the other names of Korea, which will be discussed further, arose according to approximately the same pattern: a certain (exactly unknown) self-name of some ancient Korean tribe ==> its approximate transcription those Chinese characters that were then pronounced more or less similar to this name ==> the evolution of the pronunciation of these characters (Korean, Chinese, Japanese have their own).

So, let's get back to our story. The ancient Korean state of Joseon (in fact, as we remember, its name was pronounced more like “Tryausenh”) was captured by the Chinese at the end of the 2nd century. BC, but the memory of him remained in Korea for a long time. At approximately the same time, other ancient Korean tribes lived on the territory of the Korean Peninsula and in the adjacent part of Manchuria (however, among them there could have been representatives of other nationalities who later dissolved among the Koreans). The names of those tribes that lived in the north were written in hieroglyphs, which in modern Korean are pronounced as “Goguryeo”, although in those days they sounded differently. Soon these tribes formed a powerful and warlike principality, which occupied the entire north of the peninsula and the adjacent territory of Manchuria. Meanwhile, many other tribes lived in the south of the peninsula. The Han tribes lived on the coast of the Korean Strait (again, a modern Korean reading), while in the southeast the Principality of Silla quickly grew stronger.

Of course, all these tribes and principalities were constantly at war with each other. In the end, victory went to Silla, which at the end of the 7th century united the Korean Peninsula under its rule. This is how the first unified Korean state arose, which was called Silla. What does it mean? The question is complex. If you “translate” using hieroglyphs, you get... “new network”. I think that the reader now understands: this name had exactly as much to do with “networks” as Moscow had to do with “the calm cutting of cereals.” These hieroglyphs simply transcribed some ancient Korean (is it ancient Korean?) word. Which? There are many hypotheses on this matter, but none of them is generally accepted.

However, “the times of monarchies and kings are not eternal”... At the beginning of the 10th century, after a short period of civil wars, a new dynasty came to power in the country. Its founder, Wang Gon, came from the lands where the domain of Goguryeo once flourished. He, a military general himself, was very proud of his family ties with the most warlike of all ancient Korean principalities, which is why he decided to call his dynasty “Koryo.” The word is often considered a shortened form of Goguryeo, but in fact it appears to be not even a shortening, but a transcription of the same word, only in its later pronunciation. It’s just that in the Korean original, unknown to us, which was initially written in Chinese characters as Goguryeo, somewhere in the 7th-9th centuries, the consonant that was expressed by the hieroglyph “ku” “fell out” (stopped being pronounced).

At that time, in East Asia, the country was often called by the name of the dynasty that ruled it, so that Korea itself, from the 10th century, began to be called “Koryo” by foreigners. It was at that time that rumors about the existence of this country reached Europe, so all European names for Korea sound very similar to “Koryo.”

However, time passed, and Wang Gon's distant descendants also lost power. Another general, Yi Song-gye, carried out a coup and in 1392 founded a new dynasty. He decided to take the most ancient name for it - “Joseon” (in other countries it was often called by the surname of the ruling family - “Lee Dynasty”). As you remember, these characters were used to write the Chinese name of the very first of the Korean states, which existed three thousand years earlier. This name remained until the end of the 19th century. After Korea became a Japanese colony in 1910, the Japanese continued to call it that (of course, the Japanese themselves read the same hieroglyphs in their own way - “Chosen”). After 1945, the new communist government, which, with the help of the Soviet Army, came to power in the north of the country, decided not to abandon the name that had become familiar over more than five centuries, and retained it. That’s why North Korea is called “Joseon,” but if you use the full name, “Democratic People’s Republic of Joseon.” It is clear that “Joseon” is translated into Russian as “Korea”, and the entire name is translated as “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.

Well, what about South Korea, the Republic of Korea? At the end of the 19th century, an attempt was made in Korea to change the official name of the country. It became known as the "Han Empire". As you probably already guessed, this name comes from the name of the ancient Korean tribes that lived in the very south of the Korean Peninsula two millennia ago. In 1910, the colonialists returned the old name “Joseon,” but many leaders of the national liberation movement did not recognize this renaming and, in defiance of the Japanese rulers, continued to call their country “Hanguk,” that is, “Country of Han.” When the leaders of the anti-colonial movement created a Korean government in exile in 1919, they called it the “Provisional Government of the Republic of Han.” Over time, many of the leaders of this government established ties with the United States, and in 1945, with the help of the American military administration, they ended up in South Korea. It was these people who became the founders of the current South Korean state, which also inherited this name - the “Republic of Han”. In Russian, this word, again, is translated as “Korea”.

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Korea and abroad

is a state in northeast Asia, occupying the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. In the north it borders with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in the east it is washed by the Sea of ​​Japan, in the south and southeast by the Korea Strait, in the west by the Yellow Sea. South Korea also owns several islands, the largest of which are Jeju, Jedo and Kojedo.

The name comes from an ethnonym used in the X-XIV centuries.

Official name: The Republic of Korea

Capital: Seoul

The area of ​​the land: 98.5 thousand sq. km

Total Population: 50 million people

Administrative division: 9 provinces and 5 cities under central jurisdiction.

Form of government: Republic.

Head of State: The president.

Population composition: 99% are Korean, there is also a small Chinese minority.

Official language: Korean.

Religion: 51.2% are Buddhism, 34.4% are Christians (Protestants), 10.6% are Catholics, 1.8% are followers of shamanism and Confucianism.

Internet domain: .kr

Mains voltage: ~110 V/220 V, 60 Hz

Country dialing code: +82

Country barcode: 880

Climate

Moderate monsoon. The average annual temperature is up to +5 C in the north and +14 C in the south. Summer is hot - 21-24 C (up to +35 C), with frequent and heavy rains brought by the monsoons from June to July. Winter is cold - up to -10 C on the coasts and -20 C in the central regions, with fairly little snow. Thaws are frequent. Precipitation averages up to 2000 mm. per year (in the north - up to 5000 mm, in Seoul - about 1500 mm), mainly in summer. The best time to visit the country is from June to October.

Geography

The state with a total area of ​​98.5 thousand sq. km is located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula in northeast Asia. In the north it borders with the DPRK. In the east it is washed by the Sea of ​​Japan, in the south and southeast by the Korea Strait, in the west by the Yellow Sea.

The country's landscape is very diverse, 70% of the territory is occupied by low mountains, stretching from north to south in the chains of the Sobaek ridges (the highest point is the city of Chirisan, 1915 m), Gyeongsan (Nanmin Mountains, 2014 m), Kumgang (1638 m), Seorak (1780 m). m) and Taebaek (1546 m). The highest mountain point in the country is Hallasan (1950 m), located on the largest island of the country - Jeju.

The coastline is quite indented and framed by a large number (more than 3 thousand) of islands, especially along the western and southern coasts of the country. In the east the coastline is rocky and relatively straight, with small beaches at the river mouths.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

Thanks to the mild climate, Korea's vegetation is very diverse. In the mountains of Korea there are broadleaf and oak forests, which alternate with mixed forests and coniferous species. The most common tree species in forests are oaks, hornbeams, birches, lindens and other species, some of which are valuable.

There are fewer forests in South Korea itself. Ginseng is very common here in the foothills. And oaks, maples, and ash trees grow in the mountains. Lianas and lemongrass, as well as wild grapes, are often found on tree trunks. Below, along the lower mountain belt, dense pine forests grow. On the territory of the subalpine belt there are beautiful alpine meadows, near which many shrub trees grow. By the way, Korean pine, found in the forests of Korea, is the most expensive tree species.

In southern Korea there are many evergreen trees, such as the Japanese camellia. Summer green trees such as chestnut are also very common. In total, the flora of Korea has more than 4 thousand varieties. This is despite the fact that in the twentieth century large areas of forests were cut down. Bamboo grows in the valleys, the shoots of which grow up to 10 meters.

Animal world

The forests of South Korea are inhabited by foxes, wild boars, gorals, roe deer, sika deer, wapiti, weasels, otters, squirrels, and sometimes you can see tigers, leopards, lynxes and Ussuri and white-breasted bears. Coastal areas have the greatest diversity of birds: passerines, herons, cranes, storks, geese, ducks, waders, gulls, cormorants, razorbills, guillemots and guillemots.

In addition, on the territory of South Korea there are such birds of prey as the Kamchatka eagle, and large birds of the gallinaceous order - pheasants, black grouse and hazel grouse. Several hundred species of fish live in the coastal and inland waters of the country.

Attractions

Korea, with its picturesque nature, mountains, beaches and rivers, with a rich cultural and historical heritage, is one of the most interesting countries in Southeast Asia in terms of tourism. Here you can see ancient Buddhist monasteries, royal palaces, sculptural monuments, pagodas, archaeological sites, forts, folk villages and numerous museums. And the picturesque nature and carefully preserved habitat give the country a special charm.

Banks and currency

Vaughn (W, KRW). In circulation are banknotes of 50,000, 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 won (often called simply "jeon", meaning "thousand") and coins of 500, 100, 50 and 10 won (coins of 5 and 1 won are now almost are not used and after the 2009 denomination are taken out of circulation).

Banks are open on weekdays from 9.30 to 16.30, on Saturdays until 13.30. Closed on Sunday. ATMs are open from 9.30 to 22.00, and some are open 24 hours a day.

Money can be exchanged in banks, specialized exchange offices and large hotels. US dollars are accepted in many small shops and markets on the same basis as local currency, but department stores and large stores do not accept dollars at all.

VISA, American Express, Diners Club, Master Card and JCB credit cards are accepted everywhere. Travel checks can only be cashed at banks or offices of large international transport and travel companies.

Bank checks with denominations of 100 thousand won or more are also used, but when paying with them, you need to indicate your passport number, address and telephone number in Korea on the reverse side, so if you do not have a residence permit, payment by checks is almost impossible.

Useful information for tourists

The traditional system of hierarchy and respect for elders is still of great importance in all walks of life. Direct questions about age and marital status are considered commonplace, as they allow the Korean to get an idea of ​​the interlocutor and his place in the hierarchical system of society. Koreans avoid expressing emotions in public or laughing loudly in front of older people.

Greetings are always pronounced with a slight bow, the depth of which depends on the position of the speakers. When meeting, both the right and left hands are presented and shaken, although preference is given to the right - the left hand is placed under the right. Failure to comply with this rule may be considered impolite. More common is a simple nod of the head, as well as a slight or respectful bow (depending on who is greeting whom). Usually they don’t look you directly in the eyes - it is perceived, rather, as a threat or an attempt to exert psychological pressure.

Here they almost never say “thank you” or “you’re welcome”, so as not to embarrass the person doing the favor. When gifts are brought, they are quietly left at the entrance, rather than shown to the person for whom they are intended. No one will also apologize if they accidentally push someone they meet on the street or step on someone’s foot. Public displays of affection, such as kissing and hugging, are considered obscene.

They don’t start eating at the table until the oldest person arrives, and everyone stands up when he leaves the table.

You should not leave chopsticks in the rice during a meal, as this is associated with funerals. You cannot write names in red ink - this is how the names of the dead are written. Traditionally, Koreans sit, eat and sleep on the floor. Therefore, when entering a Korean home, you must always take off your shoes. You cannot stand on the threshold to prevent evil spirits from entering.

You cannot talk about divorce, death or ruin even as a joke, so as not to incur evil fate on yourself. It is considered rude to be bare-legged in the presence of elders, so it is recommended to always wear socks or stockings when visiting a Korean family.

Tips are not accepted in restaurants; payment is made not with the waiter, but at the cash register, which is located at the exit. There is usually no menu as such in Korean restaurants; all the names of dishes and their prices are indicated on a special table that hangs on the wall. Tipping is only given in large international hotels.

In elevators of multi-story buildings there is no fourth floor (the word “sa” - “fourth” sounds the same as “death”), so it is usually designated by the letter “F” or the third is immediately followed by the fifth floor.

I attended Korean language courses at the cultural center at the South Korean Embassy in Moscow, and our sonsenim (that is, teacher) explained why South Korea is called the land of morning freshness. In a nutshell, this is simply the most beautiful meaning of the two hieroglyphs that are included in the name of the country.

Numerous names of South Korea

Korean writing appeared only in the 15th century and was practically not used until the 19th-20th centuries. There was an oral Korean language, but for writing, Koreans used the hieroglyphs of their global neighbor. The name “Korea”, which is used by foreigners, comes from the ancient state that existed on the territory of the Korean Peninsula, Goryeo. However, the Koreans themselves called their country Joseon. Now this name remains with North Korea, and South Korea began to call itself Hanguk. However, until the 20th century, the name “Joseon” was used, which once in ancient times the Chinese wrote down in their own characters, so to speak, by ear, as they heard from the ancient tribes of the Korean Peninsula. So it turned out that the word, the name of the country, exists, but what it means is unclear.

Choosing a beautiful name

The name "Joseon" consists of 2 characters: "cho" and "son". I don’t know whether the Koreans or the Chinese themselves chose beautiful and compatible words (in general, the inhabitants of that region like to attach beautiful meanings to everything), but it was precisely this that came into general use. In general, one of the meanings of “cho” is morning, and “sleep” is freshness.

Other meanings of the hieroglyph “cho”:

  • ruling dynasty, reign,
  • face,
  • travel and others.

Other meanings of the hieroglyph “sleep”:

  • painting,
  • appearance,
  • reciprocity and others.

In general, it was not easy to find another suitable combination. So they began to call South Korea the land of morning freshness. But, what is most interesting, Koreans also call their country “a country with four seasons,” quite seriously believing that all four seasons are clearly expressed in their country. But they still don’t believe that they have the freshest morning.

If you're new to the world of K-pop, then there's no doubt that you might not know a few Korean terms that people around you use. And if you're already a seasoned K-Popper, you're probably already familiar with most of the "special" words we've included on our list.

Aegyo

Aegyo is synonymous with Sunny! "Aegyo" means super cute when someone makes a cute face, such as puppy dog ​​eyes. Aegyo is used by so many idols! Also, many idols do "Kiyomi" - this is how they show a funny rhyme using their cute facial expressions.

Sasaeng

Yes... this word is popular, meaning "sasaeng lover" or a super-obsessed fan who has an excessive amount of love for an idol. He can follow the idol in the taxi all day, and also follow the idol into the bathroom to take photos. In some cases, a sasaeng fan would sneak into the dorms to steal underwear...

Daebak

What does it mean "Wow". Like “Like, wow! He donated so much money!” or “He donated so much money! Daebak...". It can also mean sarcasm. For example: “Wow.. did she really do that to you?” or “Did she really do this to you? Daebak..". If someone says "This is Daebak" what does it mean "This is the best".

Hol ~

Koreans use this sound very often, you've probably already heard it. May express difficulty or show emotion when talking about something outrageous, funny, embarrassing or unpleasant.

Oppa/Unnie/Hyung/Noona

You may hear these words after saying a name, or maybe you have heard idols call their fellow members these terms. The girl calls the older guy "Oppa" and the older girl "Unnie." The guy calls the older guy “Hen” and the girl “Nuna”. Of course, provided that they know each other well enough and the age between them is not so great.

Sunbae / Hoobae

This point is similar to the previous one. Basically "Sunbae" means "senior", this term should be used for people who are in high school if you are in school, or for people who have more experience than you. “Hubae” is the opposite of “sunbae” and is intended for beginners and young people. "Sungbae-hoobae relationship" means the relationship between elders and juniors.

Maknae

All groups have a maknae, i.e. the youngest participant. Kyuhyun – "evil maknae" from Super Junior as he is known for being a bit mischievous. If you are the youngest in the family, then you are the maknae!

Omo

It is short for the word "Omona" and means "Oh my". So when you are surprised, you can say "Omomomomomo" many times if you want. If you hear something shocking, do like Sohee!

Uljan/Momjan

The word "Oljan" is a combination of the words "Face" ("Ol") and "Jan", which means "Best". As a result, it means "Best Face" and is used to describe people who have a very beautiful face. Many idols were originally known as Uljan all over the internet before becoming artists. "Momjan" is a similar word to "Oljan", except "mom" (pronounced Mom) means "big people". You can simply use the word "Jan" - if you want to tell people that they are the Best!



Of course they are all beautiful, but can you recognize them?

Donggan/No-an

"Dongan" means "Baby Face" and describes people who look younger than their actual age. Can you believe that Jang Na Ra is 33 years old but she looks 20 years old, or look at Dara who is 29 years old. "No-an" is not the opposite of "Dongan", although it is not often used.

Official names

Now there are two states on the Korean Peninsula - North and South Korea. The official name of the first in Russian is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK (Kor. 조선 민주주의 인민공화국 , 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國 , Joseon Minjujui Inminkonghwaguk), the second - the Republic of Korea (Korean: 대한민국, 大韓民國, Taehanminguk). Modern word Korea comes from one of the historical dynasties (Koryo) that ruled the Korean Peninsula.

Story

The earliest records relating to Korea are made by the Chinese and written using Chinese characters, despite the fact that Chinese and Korean languages ​​are far apart. Even after Korea created its own written language, Hangul, Koreans wrote their names and the name of the country using hanja, adapted to the Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters. The pronunciation of hieroglyphs, and often the meanings, have changed over time, so it is difficult to restore the original sound and meaning of the ancient names of Korea.

Ancient history

Joseon

About 2000 years ago, the north of the Korean Peninsula and the south of Manchuria belonged to the state of Gojoseon ( Ancient Joseon). In Chinese records that date back to the middle of the first millennium BC. BC, the name appeared as 朝鮮 (in modern Chinese it is pronounced approximately like Chaoxian). These characters are pronounced in modern Korean as Joseon (조선). Co.(古), meaning "ancient", is used to distinguish that Joseon from the later Joseon Dynasty. The first of the characters used in this word (朝) means, among others, “morning”, the second (鮮) means, in particular, “fresh”. It is for this reason that the poetic name of Korea is “The Land of Morning Freshness.” This phrase is still used in relation to Korea.

According to scientists, the word “Joseon” initially did not carry such a semantic load, reflecting only the phonetics of the name of the country at that time. Due to the fact that the pronunciation of Chinese characters has changed over time, it is difficult to say what the name of Korea sounded like at the dawn of its formation. The research carried out approximately restores the original sound as “Tryausenkh”.

Khan

After the fall of Gojoseon in the southern Korean Peninsula south of the Han River, there were several tribes, or perhaps alliances of tribes, collectively called Samhan (삼한, "Three Hana"). The Chinese character 韓 (한, han), which is part of the name Samhan, is also present in the name Hanguk, used in South Korea as the country's self-name.

Taehan Jeguk

In 1897 the state changed its name to Taehan Jeguk(대한제국, 大韓帝國), literally "Great Khan Empire". Khan here is the same as in the name of the Samhan tribes (see above). The name Korean Empire became widespread in European languages.

XX century

Independence was gained only after the Second World War in 1945. The country was then divided into zones of occupation by the USSR and the USA.

Modern use

In Korea

Today the colloquial name for Korea in South Korea is Hanguk, and South Korea is called Namkhan(남한, 南韓; "Southern Han"), and Northern - Pukkhan(북한, 北韓; "Northern Han"). Less formally, southerners call the DPRK Ibuk(이북, 以北; "North").

Names used in the DPRK Joseon for Korea, Namjoseon(남조선, 南朝鮮; "Southern Joseon") for South Korea, and Bukjoseon(북조선, 北朝鮮; "Northern Joseon") for North Korea.

Koreans abroad


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