의성어 [ui-seong-eo] is phonomime, which is to say, an onomatopoeic word, a word that imitates a sound. 의태어 [ui-tae-eo] is phenomime, which differs in that it’s a kind of “sound symbolism” of a feeling rather than an imitative representation. I’ve written about these things before: [broken link! FIXME] see here. One of the most common google search terms that brings internauts to my blog randomly is “phenomimes and psychomimes.”
I’ll admit, these things fascinate me. I frequently revisit them. I found a very brief one page pdf summary of them, this morning. And there’s a chapter in Samuel E. Martin’s exhaustive and exhaustingly Yale-ified [broken link! FIXME] Korean grammar about them, too (p. 340~344).
I’ll reproduce some interesting vocabulary.
… some phonomimes:
추룩 추루룩 추루룩 [chu-ruk chu-ru-ruk chu-ru-ruk] = downpouringly
보글보글 [bo-geul-bo-geul] / 바글바글 [ba-geul-ba-geul] / 부글부글 [bu-geul-bu-geul] / 뽀글뽀글 [ppo-geul-ppo-geul] / 빠글빠글 [ppa-geul-ppa-geul] / 뿌글뿌글 [ppu-geul-ppu-geul] = boilingly, bubblingly
찰랑찰랑 [chal-lang-chal-lang] / 출렁출렁 [chul-leong-chul-leong] / etc. = lappingly, sloppingly
꽹구랑 꽹꽹깽 [kkwaeng-gu-rang kkwaeng-kkwaeng-kkaeng] = gongingly
… and some phenomimes:
살금살금 [sal-geum-sal-geum] = sneakily
깡충깡충 [kkang-chung-kkang-chung] = bouncily, “hoppingly” (also 깡총깡총[kkang-chong-kkang-chong])
말똥말똥 [mal-ttong-mal-ttong] / 멀뚱멀뚱 [meol-ttung-meol-ttung] = wide-eyed staringly
말랑 몰랑 물렁 [mal-lang mol-lang mul-leong] / 말캉 몰캉 물캉 [mal-kang mol-kang mul-kang] = softly / tenderly (as a texture of food)
살짝 [sal-jjak] / 설쩍 [seol-jjeok] = stealthily
싱글벙글 [sing-geul-beong-geul] = smilingly
날씬 [nal-ssin] / 늘씬[neul-ssin] = slimly, slenderly
통통 [tong-tong] / 퉁퉁 [tung-tung] = plumply
살살 [sal-sal] / 설설 [seol-seol] / 솔솔 [sol-sol] / 술술 [sul-sul] = gently, softly
싹독 [ssak-dok] / 썩둑 [seok-duk] = choppingly, snippingly
빡빡 [ppak-ppak] / 뼉뼉 [ppeok-ppeok] = crustily, tightly, narrow-mindedly
반짝 [ban-jjak] / 번쩍 [beon-jjeok] / 빤짝 [ppan-jjak] / 뻔쩍 [ppeon-jjeok] = sparklingly, twinklingly
A random picture (2010, Gwangju).
[Update (2015-10-08): I decided to create a consolidated list of examples, which I can update periodically.]
Day: June 3, 2012
Caveat: the narcissism of small differences
I was reading an article at the Atlantic by Robert Kaplan about Vietnam's complex, fraught relationship with China, and how that has made them much more receptive to US influence in the region, despite the legacy of the Vietnam War. Whenever I study Vietnam, I'm always struck by the cultural and political similarities with Korea.
One phrase that he uses to describe the millenia-long influence of China on its southern neighbor is: "the narcissism of small differences." This made me laugh, because it's so precisely the sort of phrase that could be applied to the interesting cultural dynamics at play between Korea and China, too, or between Korea and Japan, or between North Korea and South Korea, for that matter. And I suppose it could apply to most any cultural interaction between related neighbors, e.g. Canada and the U.S., too. That being said, although it's a thought-provoking phrase, I don't actually think it conveys much information. It's more poetry than political analysis.
I spent the day today reading and cleaning my fridge. Not at the same time. And I tried to study a little bit, too. I'm still feeling very distressed and annoyed with my knowledge that I need to reduce my blood pressure, and I'm manifesting a definite lack of self-discipline in tackling it – step one: I ate too much today. It was healthy food, mostly… but it was too much. Pasta and stuff. Sigh.
-Notes for Korean-
[I'm resurrecting this "feature" of my blog from 2008/2009 – I think it helps me to organize my study efforts. I'm not sure why I ever stopped doing it, except that there have been periods when I've given up studying Korean.]
수영하다 = to swim (humans)
헤엄하다 = to swim (animals/fish)
모엄 = adventure
병아리 = chick (i.e. baby chicken)
시냇가 = stream, rivulet
건너다 = to cross
뛰다 = to run
마당 = yard
날다 = to fly
백설기 = a style of tteok that has a texture that resembles, in my mind, polenta
붐에 안다 = hug closely
알아차리다 = to realize (to come to know…) (so, 알아치리지 못했구나 = I didn't realize… )
가리키다 = to point
영리하다 = to be clever, to be smart
[Daily log: what, me exercise?]