말씀

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 말ᄊᆞᆷ (Yale: malssom). Perhaps a combination word of 말 (mal) + 숨 (sum)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈma̠(ː)ɭs͈ɯm]
• Phonetic hangul: [말(ː)씀]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	malsseum
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	mal'sseum
McCune–Reischauer?	malssŭm
Yale Romanization?	māl.ssum

Noun

말씀 • (malsseum)

1. (honorific) word or speech

   태초에 말씀이 계시니라, 이 말씀이 하나님과 함께 계셨으니, 이 말씀은 곧 하나님이시니라.(Korean Bible, 요한복음 (John) 1:1)

   taecho-e malsseum-i gyesinira, i malsseum-i hananim-gwa hamkke gyesyeosseuni, i malsseum-eun got hananimisinira.

   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Related terms

• 말 (mal, “word, speech, language”)
• 낱말 (nanmal, “word”)
• 말씀하다 (malsseumhada, “to speak, to say”)