[Daily Thousand Characters] Park Ilhwan's "The Discovery of Onomatopoeia and Mimetic Words" <2>

Editor's NoteWords that imitate the sounds of people or things are called onomatopoeia, while those that imitate shapes or movements are called mimetic words. Onomatopoeia and mimetic words can often be clearly distinguished, but there are many cases where the distinction is not so obvious. For example, when saying "gulped down saliva," it is difficult to definitively classify "gulp" as either onomatopoeia or mimetic. It could be considered either. For this reason, it is common to group both together under the term "onomatopoeia-mimesis," without making a strict distinction. In Korean, the term "imitation words" is also used. In the second installment of Park Ilhwan's , today we introduce the words "sabujaksabujak" and "saburangsabjak." This article contains 915 characters.

When describing actions that do not involve large movements, mimetic words such as "salgumsalgum" (moving stealthily) or "ggomjirakggomjirak" (squirming) are used. "Salgumsalgum" refers to moving quietly while being mindful of others, and "ggomjirakggomjirak" is used to describe the slight movement of a part of the body, or moving little by little without straying far from one's position. Thus, expressions like "the baby wiggles its toes" or "the insect crawls along, squirming" are used. While these two words are frequently used in everyday language, there are other words, used less often but still familiar to many.

Sabujaksabujak: To act lightly and continuously without much effort.

Although the definition simply says "to act lightly," this word is mainly used to describe a way of walking. It is difficult to sustain an activity for long if a lot of effort is exerted all at once. Therefore, when taking a stroll or slowly climbing a gentle hill, the word "sabujaksabujak" is often used to describe the movement.

The standard form of "sabujaksabujak" is "sibujeoksibujeok," and the adverbs "sabujagi" and "sibujeogi" are also derived from it. The standard form of "ggomjirakggomjirak" is "ggumjireokggumjireok," and the abbreviated forms are "ggomjilggomjil" and "ggumjilggumjil." While most people are familiar with "sabujaksabujak," the following word is less commonly known.

Saburangsabjak: To lightly hop or step up without much effort.

This word is a combination of "saburang" and "sabjak," and its standard form is "seobureongseopjeok." When is "saburang" used? According to the Korean dictionary, "saburang" is described only as the root of the verb "saburanggeorida," and is not used alone. Instead, two homonyms in the reduplicated form are listed as headwords, which are worth noting.

Saburangsaburang (1): To chatter meaninglessly and incessantly.

Saburangsaburang (2): When stacked or bundled items are not tightly packed together, but are rather loose or have gaps.

-Park Ilhwan, , Saramin, 17,000 KRW