-단이

Korean

Etymology

From 단 (dan, meaning unclear) +‎ 이 (-i, noun suffix).

Suffix

단이 • (-dani)

1. (Jindo Island [[w:Jeolla dialect|Jeolla dialect]]) A derivational suffix for girls, also common in pet names for children or nicknames between friends.

   Synonyms: 심이 (-simi, another Jindo girls' pet name suffix), 니 (-ni, girls' pet name suffix in Sinan Jeolla dialect)

   Coordinate term: 바 (-ba, Jindo suffix for boys)

   삐꿀단이 ― ppikkul-dani ― a girl who is always upset

   싸낙단이 ― ssanak-dani ― a girl who has a temper

   꼬시락단이 ― kkosirak-dani ― a girl with curly hair

   시단이 ― Si-dani ― pet name for a third daughter

   대단이 ― Dae-dani ― pet name for the daughter of a woman from a village beginning with Dae-

Usage notes

The vocative is 단아 (dan-a), implying that 이 (-i) is a fused suffix.

The suffix was traditionally also frequently used in the Hanja form 단 (丹, dan) as the second character of women's actual legal personal names. When used in (nick)names, the first element is either the order of birth or the hometown of the mother.

Alternative forms

• 다니 (-dani) — alternative spelling

Further reading

• 전경수 [jeon'gyeongsu] (2006) “진도 사람들의 이름에 적용된 '바'와 '다니'에 관한 민속지적 보고 [jindo saramdeurui ireume jeogyongdoen -ba wa -dani e gwanhan minsokjijeok bogo, An ethnographic report on -ba and -dani applied to Jindo people's names]”, in Han'guk Munhwa Illyuhak, volume 39, number 1, pages 141—158
• 박경래, 곽충구, 이기갑, 김정대 [bakgyeongnae, gwakchunggu, igigap, gimjeongdae] (2015) “새로 발굴한 방언(14) [saero balgulhan bang'eon(14), Newly discovered dialectal forms (14)]”, in Bang'eonhak, volume 21, pages 227—272