어미

Korean

Etymology 1

First attested as Late Old Korean 丫彌 in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사)^[1], 1103. First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 어〮미 (Yale: émì).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ʌ̹mi]
• Phonetic hangul: [어미]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eomi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eomi
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏmi
Yale Romanization?	emi

Noun

어미 • (eomi)

1. (often impolite) mother

   어미 속 좀 그만 썩여라.

   eomi sok jom geuman sseogyeora.

   Don't make mum worry too much.

2. A casual way used by a father to address his wife in front of elders.

   영철이 어미는 도대체 어디를 나갔습니까?

   yeongcheori eomineun dodaeche eodireul nagatseumnikka?

   Where the hell did Yeongcheol's mother go?

3. dam; mother animal

   어미 호랑이

   eomi horang'i

   mother tiger

4. mother of one's grandchild (or child in further generations)
5. Term of address for one's daughter or daughter-in-law (who has children).

Related terms

• 엄마 (eomma)
• 어머니 (eomeoni)
• 에미 (emi)

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 語尾

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eomi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eomi
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏmi
Yale Romanization?	ēmi

Noun

어미 • (eomi) (hanja 語尾)

1. (grammar) ending (attached to stems of verbs and adjectives)

Synonyms

• 씨끝 (ssikkeut)

Etymology 3

Visible on the left-most and right-most edges.

Sino-Korean word from 魚尾

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ʌ̹mi]
• Phonetic hangul: [어미]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eomi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eomi
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏmi
Yale Romanization?	emi

Noun

어미 • (eomi) (hanja 魚尾)

1. (publishing, bibliography) V-shaped decoration that appears in the middle of a traditional East Asian-style book leaf

   Holonym: 판심(版心) (pansim)