언간

Korean

Etymology

Sino-Korean word from 諺簡.

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eon'gan
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eongan
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏn'gan
Yale Romanization?	ēnkan

Noun

언간 • (eon'gan) (hanja 諺簡)

1. (historical) any pre-contemporary letter written in hangul between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries
   • 2010, 신성철 [sinseongcheol, Sin Seong-cheol], “옛말 사전의 의의와 과제 — 언간 어휘 사전의 체재를 중심으로 — [yenmal sajeonui uiuiwa gwaje - eon'gan eohwi sajeonui chejaereul jungsimeuro -]”, in Gugeo munhakhoe, volume 48, pages 89—114:

     언간은 동일한 시기의 자료가 아니라 16세기부터 19세기에 걸쳐진 자료이다.

     Eon'gan-eun dong'ilhan sigi-ui jaryo-ga anira 16segi-buteo 19segi-e geolcheojin jaryo-ida.

     The pre-contemporary Korean-language letters are not a corpus from a single period, but one that stretches from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

   • 2013, 김슬옹 [gimseurong], “조선시대 '언간'에 나타난 우리말과 글의 아름다움과 가치 [joseonsidae eon'gan e natanan urimalgwa geurui areumdaumgwa gachi]”, in Nara sarang, volume 122, pages 190—210:

     조선시대 '언간'에 나타난 우리말과 글의 아름다움과 가치

     Joseonsidae eon'gan -e natanan urimal-gwa geur-ui areumdaum-gwa gachi

     The beauty and value of Korean language and writing as represented in the Joseon-era Korean-language letters

   • 2019, 조용림 [joyongnim], 백낙천 [baengnakcheon], “언간에 나타난 관용적 표현 양상 [eon'gane natanan gwanyongjeok pyohyeon yangsang]”, in Gukje eoneo munhak, volume 43, pages 87—119:

     언간에는 정형화된 형식적 규약이 따로 있는 것은 아니지만 나름의 일정한 규식을 갖추고 있으며, 하나의 형태로 굳어져 통용되는 이른바 관용적 표현들이 빈번하게 나타나고 있다.

     Eon'gan-eneun jeonghyeonghwadoen hyeongsikjeok gyuyag-i ttaro inneun geos-eun anijiman nareum-ui iljeonghan gyusig-eul gatchugo isseumyeo, hana-ui hyeongtae-ro gudeojeo tong'yongdoeneun ireunba gwanyongjeok pyohyeon-deur-i binbeonhage natanago itda.

     While it is not the case that pre-contemporary Korean-language letters had standardized rules to their format, they did adhere to certain particular norms, and conventionalized expressions which have solidified into single set phrases appear frequently.