구니

Korean

Etymology

Sino-Korean word from 拘泥, from 拘 (“catching”) + 泥 (“attaching”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kuni]
• Phonetic hangul: [구니]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	guni
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	guni
McCune–Reischauer?	kuni
Yale Romanization?	kwuni

Noun

구니 • (guni) (hanja 拘泥)

1. (rare) obsession; unnecessary absorption
   • 1929, Song Jin-u, 소작입법의 필요 ("Tenant farming legislation needed")^[1],

     지주가 부질없이 목전의 이해에만 구니되어 영원한 장래를 보지 못함은 심히 한심한 일이다.

     jiju-ga bujir-eopsi mokjeon-ui ihae-eman gunidoe-eo yeongwonhan jangnae-reul boji motham-eun simhi hansimhan ir-ida.

     The landlords' inability to envision the eternal future, due to being obsessed solely with a futile understanding of what is in front of their eyes, is profoundly regrettable.

Derived terms

• 구니되다 (gunidoeda)
• 구니하다 (gunihada)