천길만길

Korean

Alternative forms

• 천길 (cheon'gil), 만길 (man'gil)

Etymology

Univerbation of 천(千) (cheon, “thousand”) +‎ 길 (gil, “fathom”, unit of measure) +‎ 만(萬) (man, “ten thousand; myriad”) +‎ 길 (gil, “fathom”, unit of measure), literally "a thousand gils, a myriad gils."

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰʌ̹nɡiɭma̠nɡiɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: [천길만길]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	cheon'gilman'gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	cheongilmangil
McCune–Reischauer?	ch'ŏn'gilman'gil
Yale Romanization?	chenkil.mankil

Noun

천길만길 • (cheon'gilman'gil) (hanja 千길萬길) (chiefly literary)

1. (hyperbolic) a great drop, depth, or height
   • 1939, 현진건／玄鎭健<t:Hyun Jin-geon>, 無(무)影(영)塔(탑) [The Shadowless Pagoda], page 15:

     아사달이 기쁨의 절정에 올랐다면 낙망의 구렁에 천길 만길 떨어지기는 묻지 않아도 팽개이리라.

     Asadar-i gippeum-ui jeoljeong-e ollat-damyeon nangmang-ui gureong-e cheon'gil man'gil tteoreojigi-neun mut-ji an-ado Paenggae-i-rira.

     Just when Asadal, [having taken Asanyeo as his wife], rose to great heights of joy, [the person who] abysmally fell to unfathomable depths of despair was, without question, Paenggae.

2. (hyperbolic, less common) a long distance

Usage notes

• (a great drop, depth, or height): Typically said of natural features such as caves, cliffs, gorges, or bodies of water.