[Book Sip] 'Waengwaeng·Daenggeuldaenggeul'... Korean Onomatopoeia and Mimetic Words

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

Danggeurang danggeurang, sabujak sabujak, orong jorong, wangbaeya deokbaeya... One of the characteristics of the Korean language is its richness in vocabulary. Among them, the abundance of onomatopoeia and mimetic words is far superior to any other language. Words that imitate the sounds of people or things are called onomatopoeia, and words that imitate shapes or movements are called mimetic words, though the distinction is not always clear. For example, in the phrase ‘swallowed saliva with a gulp,’ it is difficult to definitively classify ‘gulp’ as either onomatopoeia or mimetic word. In such cases, onomatopoeia and mimetic words are generally grouped together under the term 'onomatopoeia and mimetic words.' In Korean, they are also called 'hyungnaemal' (imitative words). The author, a poet and current teacher, collects and introduces these onomatopoeic and mimetic words. He presents unfamiliar Korean expressions to the general public, such as ‘waeng waeng’?a clear, high-pitched sound of reading fluently without obstruction?and ‘daenggeul daenggeul,’ which refers to the sound or appearance of reading smoothly and continuously.

Not only reduplicated words like ‘mallang mallang’ but also semi-reduplicated words formed by combining a slightly altered second word after the first word expand the diversity of expression. The linguistic sense to create semi-reduplicated words like ‘allok dallok’ (a variation of ‘allok allok’) or compound words like ‘umul jumul’ formed by combining ‘umul umul’ and ‘jjumul jjumul’ is excellent. Reduplicated and semi-reduplicated words not only enhance the rhythm of speech but also evoke vividness. ‘Chulleong’ repeated as ‘chulleong chulleong’ or ‘daenggeurang’ repeated as ‘daenggeurang daenggeurang’ conveys that feeling much more effectively.

‘Buryasaraya’ (a very busy and hurried manner) is similar in form and origin to ‘buryaburya.’ It is a shortened form of shouting ‘Fire! Arrow!’ Here, ‘sal’ means ‘arrow.’ When there is a fire, one naturally becomes frantic, and the same applies when arrows are flying. The speed of flying arrows is incomparable to the speed at which fire spreads. So, how urgent must the situation be? The adverb ‘ssonsal-gateui’ (like an arrow) is a metaphor for the speed of flying arrows.

‘Hwitturu maturu’ is a word that, depending on usage, corresponds to ‘magumagu’ (recklessly), ‘daechung daechung’ (roughly), or ‘jemotdaero’ (as one pleases). It can be used like in the sentence, ‘When I was young, it was good to go around hwitturu maturu and gain a lot of experience.’ It is a vocabulary suitable for expressing a free-spirited attitude or an active stance. Although there is the word ‘magujabi’ (randomly grabbing), compared to that, ‘hwitturu maturu’ has a rather lively and pleasant nuance.

Discovery of Onomatopoeia and Mimetic Words | Written by Park Ilhwan | Saramin | 340 pages | 17,000 KRW