[Daily Thousand Characters] Park Ilhwan's "The Discovery of Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Words" <1>

Editor's NoteDaenggeurang-daenggeurang, sabujak-sabujak, orongjorong... One of the great strengths of the Korean language is its incredibly rich and diverse vocabulary. Among these, the abundance of onomatopoeic and mimetic words stands out as superior to any other language. Unfortunately, many of these words remain confined within the pages of the Korean dictionary. In , poet and former teacher Park Ilhwan brings these words out from the dictionary, categorizing and explaining them in detail. The book offers a wealth of knowledge about the Korean language, including the origins, backgrounds, and even word-formation methods of these unique expressions. Try using the onomatopoeic and mimetic words featured in this book in your writing or daily conversations. By incorporating these rhythmic and lively words, your language will become much more vivid and special. Character count: 827.

Words that imitate the sounds of people or objects are called onomatopoeic words, while those that imitate shapes or movements are called mimetic words. According to the definitions in the Korean dictionary, if the explanation includes “-neun sori” (the sound of...), it is classified as onomatopoeia; if it includes “-neun moyang” (the shape of...), it is classified as a mimetic word. While onomatopoeic and mimetic words can be clearly distinguished, there are many cases where the distinction is ambiguous. For example, in the phrase “swallowed with a gulp,” it is difficult to definitively categorize “gulp” as either onomatopoeic or mimetic. The Korean dictionary addresses such words as follows.

Challang: The sound of water or similar liquid, filled to the brim, gently rippling as if about to overflow. Or the appearance thereof.

This means it can be regarded as either onomatopoeic or mimetic. Therefore, it is common to group both types together and use the term “onomatopoeic and mimetic words.” In Korean, the term “imitative words” is also used.

Compared to other languages, Korean has a highly developed system of onomatopoeic and mimetic words. This feature enriches expression by allowing speakers to vividly convey experiences, even without directly seeing or hearing the subject.

The reason for the abundance of onomatopoeic and mimetic words in Korean lies in the language’s ability to create diverse word families through changes in vowels and consonants. For example, by changing the vowel in “gamut-gamut,” you get “geomut-geomut,” and by changing the consonant in “geomut-geomut,” you get “kkeomut-kkeomut.” Similarly, “bindung-bindung” leads to “bandung-bandung,” “baendung-baendung,” and “beondung-beondung,” and further branches out to “ppindung-ppindung,” “ppandung-ppandung,” “ppaendung-ppaendung,” “ppeondung-ppeondung,” “pindung-pindung,” “pandung-pandung,” “paendung-paendung,” and “peondung-peondung.” This branching process is truly astonishing. The ability to express subtle nuances in sound and feeling is one of the key strengths of Korean onomatopoeic and mimetic words.

-Park Ilhwan, , Saramin, 17,000 won