즘게

Korean

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Middle Korean 즘게〮 (cùmkéy).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɯmɡe̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [즘게]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	jeumge
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	jeumge
McCune–Reischauer?	chŭmge
Yale Romanization?	cumkey

Noun

즘게 • (jeumge)

1. (rare, poetic, figurative) a great person metaphorically compared to a towering tree
   • 2005, 박태권 [baktaegwon], “눈뫼 허웅 스승님을 기립니다 [nunmoe heoung seuseungnimeul girimnida, In Memory of Our Mentor, Nonmoe Heo Ung]”, in Nara sarang, volume 110:

     학계에서는 길이 빛날 큰 즘게(巨樹)였습니다.

     Hakgyeeseoneun giri binnal keun jeumge(geosu)yeotseumnida.

     In academia, he was like a jeumge (great tree) whose light will shine for long afterwards.

   • 2000s, 고훈 [gohun], 내 고향 도초 [nae gohyang docho, My Hometown, Docho]‎^[1]:

     도초도엔 인재(人材)가 풀처럼 무성하다. 하나같이 '즘게(큰 나무)'가 되어 고향에 돌아온다.

     Dochodo'en injaega pulcheoreom museonghada. Hanagachi jeumge(keun namu) ga doeeo gohyang-e doraonda.

     In Docho Island, talented people are as common as the grass. Like one, they all come home as jeumge (great trees).

Usage notes

This word is used primarily to add a Middle Korean flair in more literary writing. The word is not generally understood by modern Koreans, and it is almost always accompanied by a parenthetical explanation.

Middle Korean

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡sɨ̀m.kə́j/

Etymology 1

즘게〮 (cùmkéy)

Noun

즘게〮 (cùmkéy)

1. a big tree, a large tree

   Synonym: 즘게〮나모 (cùmkéy-nàmwò)

   • 1447, “Stanza 7”, in 龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가 [Yongbi eocheonga]:

     ᄇᆞ〮야미〮 가〯칠〮 므러〮 즘겟〮 가〮재〮 연ᄌᆞ니〮

     póyàm-í kǎchí-l mùlé cùmkéy-s kác-áy yèncòní

     The snake held the magpie in its mouth and placed it on the branch of a large tree

   • 1447, 釋譜詳節 / 석보상절 [Seokbo sangjeol], page 9:17a:

     뫼〯히며〮 수프〮리며〮 즘게〮며〮 무더〮멧〮 神(씬)靈(려ᇰ)을〮 請(쳐ᇰ〮)ᄒᆞ고〮

     mwǒyh-ìmyé swùphúl-ìmyé cùmkéy-myé mwùtém-éy-s SSÌN.LYÈNG-úl CHYÉNG-hòkwó

     They call on the spirits which are on the mountains and in the forests and on the great trees and in the graves

Descendants

• → Korean: 즘게 (jeumge)

See also

• 나모 (nàmwò, “tree (in general)”)

Etymology 2

Noun

즘게〮 (cùmkéy)

1. a distance of thirty li, around twelve kilometres