메주

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103, as Late Old Korean 密祖 (Yale: *micwo).

In the Hangul script, first attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 며주〮 (Yale: myècwú).

Likely related to Manchu ᠮᡳᠰᡠᠨ (misun, “thick sauce, paste”) and Japanese 味噌(み​そ) (mi​so, “fermented soybean paste”); Alexander Vovin assumes both are direct borrowings from Early Old Korean.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [me̞d͡ʑu]
• Phonetic hangul: [메주]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	meju
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	meju
McCune–Reischauer?	meju
Yale Romanization?	meycwu

Noun

메주 • (meju)

1. (cooking) block of fermented beans, used to make doenjang