잇몸
Korean
Alternative forms
Etymology
First attested in the Hunminjeong'eum eonhae (訓民正音諺解本 / 훈민정음언해본), 1446, as Middle Korean 닛므윰 (Yale: nismuyum). Equivalent to 이 (i, “tooth”) + —ㅅ— (-s-, genitive case) + an unknown second element (not 몸 (mom, “body, flesh”)).
Pronunciation
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [inmo̞m]
- Phonetic hangul: [인몸]
| Romanizations | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization? | inmom |
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | ismom |
| McCune–Reischauer? | inmom |
| Yale Romanization? | ismom |
Noun
잇몸 • (inmom)
- (anatomy) gum (flesh around the necks of teeth)
- 이가 없으면 잇몸으로 산다.
- iga eopseumyeon inmomeuro sanda.
- Make do with what you have. [lit. When people do not have teeth, they can still live with their gums.]