암

암 U+C554, 암 HANGUL SYLLABLE AM Composition: ㅇ + ㅏ + ㅁ ← 앓 [U+C553] Hangul Syllables 압 → [U+C555]

아악앆앇안앉않 앋알앍앎앏앐앑 앒앓암압앖앗았 앙앚앛앜앝앞앟
씨 ←	→ 애

Korean

Etymology 1

Sino-Korean word from 癌 (“cancer”)

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	am
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	am
McCune–Reischauer?	am
Yale Romanization?	ām

Noun

암 • (am) (hanja 癌)

1. cancer (illness)

Derived terms

• 간암(肝癌) (ganam, “liver cancer”)
• 기저세포암(基底細胞癌) (gijeosepoam, “basal cell carcinoma”)
• 뇌암(腦癌) (noeam, “brain cancer”)
• 설암(舌癌) (seoram, “tongue cancer”)
• 암종(癌腫) (amjong, “carcinoma”)
• 폐암(肺癌) (pyeam, “lung cancer”)
• 피부암(皮膚癌) (pibuam, “skin cancer”)

See also

• 악성종양(惡性腫瘍) (akseongjong'yang, “a malignant tumor; cancer”)

Etymology 2

First attested as Late Old Korean 暗 in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사)^[1], 1103.

Of native Korean origin. From Middle Korean 아ᇡ (Yale: amh). The final h leaves traces in fossilized compounds, changing following consonants into aspirated consonants, when possible, such as 암컷 (amkeot), 암캐 (amkae) or 암탉 (amtak).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [a̠m]
• Phonetic hangul: [암]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	am
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	am
McCune–Reischauer?	am
Yale Romanization?	am

Noun

암 • (am)

1. female

Prefix

암 • (am-)

1. female; she- (non-human)

Antonyms

• 수 (su, “male; he-”)

Derived terms

• 암고양이 (amgoyang'i, “female cat”)
• 암꽃 (amkkot, “female flower”)
• 암꿩 (amkkwong, “female pheasant”)
• 암말 (ammal, “mare”)
• 암소 (amso, “cow”)
• 암캐 (amkae, “bitch; female dog”)
• 암컷 (amkeot, “female animal”)
• 암탉 (amtak, “hen”)
• 암탕나귀 (amtangnagwi, “jenny”)
• 암퇘지 (amtwaeji, “sow”)

Etymology 3

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

암 • (am)

1. 暗: darkness; secret

   (eumhun reading: 어두울 암 (eoduul am))
   (MC reading: 暗 (MC 'omH))

2. 巖:

   (MC reading: 巖 (MC ngaem))

3. 庵: hut

   (eumhun reading: 암자 암 (amja am))
   (MC reading: 庵 (MC 'om))

4. 菴:

   (MC reading: 菴 (MC 'om))

5. 唵:

   (MC reading: 唵 (MC 'omX))

6. 癌: cancer

   (eumhun reading: 암 암 (am am))
   (MC reading: 癌)

7. 闇:

   (MC reading: 闇 (MC 'omH))

8. 啽:

   (MC reading: 啽)

9. 媕:

   (MC reading: 媕 (MC 'om))

10. 嵓:

    (MC reading: 嵓)

11. 晻: alternative form of 暗

    (MC reading: 晻 (MC 'omX))

12. 腤:

    (MC reading: 腤 (MC 'om))

13. 葊:

    (MC reading: 葊)

14. 蓭:

    (MC reading: 蓭)

15. 諳:

    (MC reading: 諳 (MC 'om))

16. 頷:

    (MC reading: 頷 (MC hom|homX))

17. 馣:

    (MC reading: 馣 (MC 'om))

18. 黯: dark; sullen

    (MC reading: 黯 (MC 'eam|'eamX))

19. 岩: alternative form of 巖

    (MC reading: 岩 (MC ngaem))

20. 俺:

    (MC reading: 俺 (MC -))

21. 匼:

    (MC reading: 匼)

22. 厭: to detest

    (eumhun reading: 싫어할 암 (sireohal am))
    (MC reading: 厭 (MC -))

23. 喑: to be deaf, mute; cry ceaselessly

    (MC reading: 喑 (MC 'om))

24. 㘙:

    (MC reading: 㘙 (MC -))

25. 埯:

    (MC reading: 埯 (MC 'amX))

26. 堷:

    (MC reading: 堷)

27. 壧:

    (MC reading: 壧)

28. 嵒:

    (MC reading: 嵒 (MC ngeam))

29. 揞:

    (MC reading: 揞 (MC 'omX))

30. 痷:

    (MC reading: 痷)

31. 盦: alternative form of 庵

    (MC reading: 盦 (MC 'om))

32. 碞:

    (MC reading: 碞 (MC ngeam))

33. 礹: alternative form of 巖

    (MC reading: 礹 (MC ngaem))

34. 罯:

    (MC reading: 罯 (MC 'omX))

35. 萻:

    (MC reading: 萻)

36. 裺:

    (MC reading: 裺 (MC -))

37. 雸:

    (MC reading: 雸)

38. 韽:

    (MC reading: 韽 (MC 'om))

39. 顉:

    (MC reading: 顉 (MC ngomX))

40. 鵪:

    (MC reading: 鵪 (MC 'om))

41. 麙:

    (MC reading: 麙 (MC ngeam))

42. 黤: blue-black

    (MC reading: 黤 (MC 'omX|'aemX))

43. 黭:

    (MC reading: 黭 (MC 'omX))

44. 黶:

    (MC reading: 黶 (MC -))

References

• Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo), page 27. [2]
• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]