엿

Korean

여역엮엯연엱엲 엳열엵엶엷엸엹 엺엻염엽엾엿였 영옂옃옄옅옆옇
에 ←	→ 예

Yeot street vendor in Seoul, Korea.

Etymology 1

First attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 엿 (Yale: yes).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [jʌ̹t̚]
• Phonetic hangul: [엳]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	yeot
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	yeos
McCune–Reischauer?	yŏt
Yale Romanization?	yes

Noun

엿 • (yeot)

1. yeot: a kind of Korean traditional confectionery

   엿 먹어라/먹어 ― yeot meogeora/meogeo ― (vulgar) fuck you; literally “eat yeot”

   엿을 먹이다 ― yeoseul meogida ― (slang) to screw someone over; literally “to make someone eat yeot”

Usage notes

• In Korean slang, yeot often carries an insulting meaning similar to English fuck, for instance the two examples above. This may stem from the resemblance of the appearance of a yeot stick to that of a penis. Throwing yeot candy at someone is akin to shoe-tossing in the Arab world.

Synonyms

• 이당 (飴餹, idang)

Derived terms

• 엿가락 (yeotgarak)
• 엿가래 (yeotgarae)
• 엿가위 (yeotgawi)
• 엿강정 (yeotgangjeong)
• 엿경단 (—瓊團, yeotgyeongdan)
• 엿기름 (yeotgireum)
• 엿길금 (yeotgilgeum)
• 엿단쇠 (yeotdansoe)
• 엿당 (—糖, yeotdang)
• 엿목판 (—木板, yeonmokpan)
• 엿물 (yeonmul)
• 엿반대기 (yeotbandaegi)
• 엿밥 (yeotbap)
• 엿방망이 (yeotbangmang'i)
• 엿비지 (yeotbiji)
• 엿자박 (yeotjabak)
• 엿장수 (yeotjangsu)
• 엿죽 (yeotjuk)
• 엿죽방망이 (yeotjukbangmang'i)
• 엿치기 (yeotchigi)

• 갱엿 (gaeng'yeot)
• 검은엿 (geomeunyeot)
• 깨엿 (kkaeyeot)
• 물엿 (muryeot)
• 밤엿 (bamyeot)
• 수수엿 (susuyeot)
• 옥수수엿 (oksusuyeot)
• 잣엿 (jadyeot)
• 좁쌀엿 (jopssaryeot)
• 콩엿 (kong'yeot)
• 호박엿 (hobagyeot)
• 흰엿 (huinyeot)

See also

• 조청 (造淸, jocheong, “grain syrup”)

Etymology 2

First attested in the Gugeupganibang eonhae (救急簡易方諺解 / 구급간이방언해), 1489, as Middle Korean 엿 (Yale: yes). Related to 여섯 (yeoseot).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [jʌ̹t̚]
• Phonetic hangul: [엳]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	yeot
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	yeos
McCune–Reischauer?	yŏt
Yale Romanization?	yes

Determiner

엿 • (yeot)

1. (used with classifiers such as 냥 (nyang), 되 (doe), 섬 (seom), and 짐 (jim)) six

Derived terms

• 엿새 (yeotsae)

Etymology 3

Compare the obsolete verb 엿— (yeot-).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	yeot
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	yeos
McCune–Reischauer?	yŏt
Yale Romanization?	yēs

Prefix

엿 • (yeot)

1. Attached to some verbs to convey the meaning of “secretly; stealthily; in secret”.

Derived terms

• 엿듣다 (yeotdeutda)
• 엿보다 (yeotboda)

• 엿보이다 (yeotboida)
• 엿살피다 (yeotsalpida)