남선

Korean

Etymology

Abbreviation of 남조선(南朝鮮) (namjoseon). Allegedly originates from during the Japanese occupation of Korea, when 조선 (joseon) was still the common name for Korea.

Noun

남선 • (namseon)

1. (dated, still somewhat used in Yanbian) South Korea, the southern regions of Korea
   • 2009 February 26, 김경자 [gimgyeongja], “연변 조선족 마을의 특별한 명절 [yeonbyeon joseonjok ma'eurui teukbyeolhan myeongjeol]”, in 한국구비문학대계 [han'gukgubimunhakdaegye]‎^[1], 연변 조선족 자치주 연길시 [yeonbyeon joseonjok jachiju yeon'gilsi]:

     안도현 명월진, 거기 이리 남선 (경상도 사투리) 말하는 사람들이 많단 말입니까...

     Andohyeon myeong'woljin, geogi iri namseon (gyeongsangdo saturi) malha-neun saram-deur-i mantan mar-imnikka...

     Myeongweoljin in Antu County, over there there is a lot of people that speak Southern Korean (Gyeongsang dialect).

Usage notes

In modern Yanbian, 한국 (han'guk) seems to have displaced any other terms when referring to the South Korea as a country. Even in this excerpt the speaker uses the word when referring to the Gyeongsang dialect, the most widespread southern dialect spoken among ethnic Koreans in China, indicating that it's use to denote something that comes from the southern regions of the Korean peninsula might still exist among older residents of Yanbian.