오른

Korean

Etymology 1

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 올ᄒᆞᆫ. The Middle Korean word was both the adnominal form of 옳다 (olta, “to be correct; to be proper”) and a determiner meaning “right-hand”, thus showing the same semantic shift as English right and many other languages. The two words are still homophones in Modern Korean, but spelled differently and no longer perceived as the same word: 옳은 (oreun, “which is correct; which is proper”) versus 오른 (oreun, “right, right-hand”).

Beyond Middle Korean, Jeju ᄂᆞ단 (nawdan, “right-side”) has been suggested as an ancient root for "right-side" that was displaced by the modern word.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [o̞ɾɯn]
• Phonetic hangul: [오른]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	oreun
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	oleun
McCune–Reischauer?	orŭn
Yale Romanization?	olun

Determiner

오른 • (oreun)

1. (dated outside compounds) right, right-hand

   Synonyms: 오른쪽 (oreunjjok), (dated or archaic) 바른 (bareun)

   Antonym: 왼 (oen)

Usage notes

Nowadays, the derived noun 오른쪽 (oreunjjok, “right-hand side”) is used attributively instead of 오른.

Derived terms

• 오른발 (oreunbal, “right foot”)
• 오른손 (oreunson, “right hand”)
• 오른쪽 (oreunjjok, “right-hand side”)
• 오른팔 (oreunpal, “right arm”)

Related terms

• 옳다 (olta): to be right, correct, true

See also

• 바르다 (bareuda): to be straight, upright, right, correct, true
• 올바르다 (olbareuda): to be straight, upright

Etymology 2

Verb

오른 • (oreun)

1. past adnominal of 오르다 (oreuda, “to ascend”)