ㆍ

See also: · [U+00B7 MIDDLE DOT], ・ [U+30FB KATAKANA MIDDLE DOT], 、 [U+3001 IDEOGRAPHIC COMMA], and 丶 [U+4E36 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E36]

ㆍ U+318D, ㆍ HANGUL LETTER ARAEA ← ㆌ [U+318C] Hangul Compatibility Jamo ㆎ → [U+318E]

ᆞ U+119E, ᆞ HANGUL JUNGSEONG ARAEA ← ᆝ [U+119D] Hangul Jamo ᆟ → [U+119F]

Jeju

Etymology

From Middle Korean [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɒ/, [ɔ]

Letter

ㆍ (â)

1. The Jeju vowel, ㆍ

Korean

Etymology

Invented by Sejong the Great of Joseon to represent the Sun.

The vowel phonetically merged with /ɨ ~ ɯ/ word-internally in late Middle Korean and with /a/ word-initially in the late eighteenth century. It continued to be used until the major spelling reforms of the 1930s.

Pronunciation

• (historical reading, c. 1700)
  • (word-internally in native terms) IPA^(key): /ɨ~ɯ/
  • (word-initially or in Sino-Korean words) IPA^(key): /ʌ/
• (modern classroom reading)
  • IPA^(key): /a/ (regardless of position)
  • Homophone: ㅏ (a)

Letter

ㆍ • (a)

1. (obsolete) An obsolote vowel letter.
2. Typographic substitution of ㅏ (a), used in order to give an antique flair in advertising, brand names, etc., even when etymologically spurious.

Usage notes

• In modern Korean, the letter is called 아래아 (arae-a, “low a”).