[One Thousand Characters a Day] Park Ilhwan's 'Discovery of Uiseong's Onomatopoeia' <4>

Editor's NoteWords depend on how they are used, but above all, they must be passed from mouth to mouth to be loved. Otherwise, they wither away, lose their strength, and gradually disappear. Unfortunately, there are many onomatopoeic and mimetic words trapped only inside Korean dictionaries. Author Park Ilhwan's ＜Discovery of Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Words＞ excludes overly well-known words and focuses on words that allow meaningful analysis and commentary. Today, we introduce onomatopoeic and mimetic words that describe the state of being drunk. Word count: 982 characters.

Alcohol can be medicinal if consumed moderately, but if not controlled, it becomes poison. The coexistence of the words yakju (medicinal liquor) and dokju (poisonous liquor) clearly shows this. What is the appropriate amount to drink? Since each person’s tolerance varies, it’s hard to say exactly, but it’s best not to exceed a tipsy state.

Hellele: 1. The state of being extremely drunk or dazed, unable to control one’s body. 2. The state of being mentally impaired or dull.

This word is used to describe a state beyond glazed eyes to a completely limp body. At this point, it’s easy to become a nuisance to those around you. What would you call a state slightly less severe than ‘Hellele’?

Haeronghaerong: 1. The state of being drunk after drinking alcohol, with the mind repeatedly confused and the body unable to maintain proper control. 2. The state of repeatedly acting carelessly and frivolously.

‘Haeronghaerong’ is often mistakenly written as ‘Herongherong.’ Although this is incorrect, many people do not realize it is wrong. Why is that? Perhaps because they associate it with wandering and thus use ‘He’ at the beginning. The syllable ‘He’ gives a sense of looseness, as in the word ‘hepeuda’ (to be loose). The following words especially illustrate this.

Hesilheisil: 1. The state of an object not being solid, easily crumbling or fraying. 2. The state of a person being indecisive and insubstantial, lacking depth or substance.

While ‘Haeronghaerong’ has a somewhat cute nuance, ‘Herongherong’ evokes an image of being mentally scattered. It might be said that ‘Herongherong’ fits a more severe condition than ‘Haeronghaerong.’ Perhaps one day, ‘Herongherong’ will be recognized as a standard word alongside ‘Haeronghaerong.’

Gondremandre: The state of being extremely drunk or asleep, unable to regain consciousness or control one’s body.

This word is used to describe the most severe state of drunkenness. While ‘Gondre’ can be used alone, the common usage is ‘Gondremandre.’ ‘Gondre’ is the core word, and ‘mandre’ is added without particular meaning, just to match the rhythm.

- Park Ilhwan, ＜Discovery of Onomatopoeic and Mimetic Words＞, Saramin, 17,000 KRW