충치

Korean

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰuŋt͡ɕʰi]
• Phonetic hangul: [충치]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	chungchi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	chungchi
McCune–Reischauer?	ch'ungch'i
Yale Romanization?	chwungchi

Etymology 1

Sino-Korean word from 蟲 (“worm”) + 齒 (“tooth”).

Noun

충치 • (chungchi) (hanja 蟲齒)

1. dental cavity; dental caries; rotten teeth

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 蟲豸 (“insect”).

Noun

충치 • (chungchi) (hanja 蟲豸)

1. (figurative, derogatory, obsolete) mean and worthless person
   • c. 1725, 이창중 [ichangjung, Yi Changjung], “천지일가곡/天地一家曲”, in 연연정창수록/然然亭唱酬錄:

     明(명)命(명)이 어듭기ᄂᆞᆫ 物(물)欲(욕)에 病(병)들엇ᄂᆡ / 이 病(병)을 못 고치면 蟲(츙)豸(치)들 멀노소랴

     myeongmyeong-i eodeupgi-neun muryog-e byeongdeureonnae / i byeong-eul mot gochimyeon chyungchi-deul meollosorya

     It is not that [Heaven's] bright mandate is dark, but rather one is diseased by material craving / If one does not cure this disease, would one much different from insects?