무명

Korean

Etymology 1

Sino-Korean word from 無名 (“nameless”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [mumjʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [무명]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	mumyeong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	mumyeong
McCune–Reischauer?	mumyŏng
Yale Romanization?	mumyeng

Noun

무명 • (mumyeong) (hanja 無名)

1. (attributive) unknown (obscure)

   무명 시인 ― mumyeong siin ― an unknown poet

Etymology 2

First attested in the Beonyeok nogeoldae (飜譯老乞大 / 번역노걸대), 1517, as Middle Korean 무면 (Yale: mwumyen). Cognate to Jeju 미녕 (minyeong).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [mumjʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [무명]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	mumyeong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	mumyeong
McCune–Reischauer?	mumyŏng
Yale Romanization?	mumyeng

Noun

무명 • (mumyeong)

1. cotton

   Synonym: 목면(木綿) (mongmyeon)

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 無明 (“unenlightenment”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [mumjʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [무명]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	mumyeong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	mumyeong
McCune–Reischauer?	mumyŏng
Yale Romanization?	mumyeng

Noun

무명 • (mumyeong) (hanja 無明)

1. (Buddhism) avidyā: unenlightenment, ignorance of nirvana and of the fundamental state of existence

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 武 (“martial arts”) + 名 (“name”).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	mumyeong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	mumyeong
McCune–Reischauer?	mumyŏng
Yale Romanization?	mūmyeng

Noun

무명 • (mumyeong) (hanja 武名)

1. fame as a warrior

   Coordinate term: 문명(文名) (munmyeong)