김

김 U+AE40, 김 HANGUL SYLLABLE GIM Composition: ㄱ + ㅣ + ㅁ ← 긿 [U+AE3F] Hangul Syllables 깁 → [U+AE41]

Korean

기긱긲긳긴긵긶 긷길긹긺긻긼긽 긾긿김깁깂깃깄 깅깆깇깈깉깊깋
긔 ←	→ 까

Etymology 1

김 (gim, “laver”)

First attested in the nineteenth century. Perhaps ultimately related to the "weed" sense below, but this is speculative.

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kīm

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 김의 / 김에 / 김까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

Noun

김 • (gim)

1. laver (nori, a type of edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra)

   Synonyms: (rare) 해태(海苔) (haetae), (chiefly dialectal) 해의(海衣) (hae'ui)

Derived terms

• 김밥 (gimbap, “kimbap”)

See also

• 다시마 (dasima, “kelp”)
• 미역 (miyeok, “sea mustard”)

Etymology 2

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 김〯 (Yale: kǐm).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kīm

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 김의 / 김에 / 김까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

Noun

김 • (gim)

1. steam; vapor

   Synonyms: 증기(蒸氣) (jeunggi, “vapour”), 수증기(水蒸氣) (sujeunggi, “steam”)

Etymology 3

Of native Korean origin.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kim]
• Phonetic hangul: [김]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kim

Dependent noun

김 • (gim)

1. since, given that, seeing as; only used in 은 김에 (-eun gime) and 는 김에 (-neun gime)

Etymology 4

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 기ᅀᅳᆷ〮 (Yale: kìzúm), originally equivalent to 기ᇫ (Yale: kìz-, “to be lush, to be verdant (of plant growth)”) + 음〮 (Yale: -úm, substantive-deriving suffix).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kīm

Noun

김 • (gim)

1. weed in fields or rice paddies, which must be uprooted

Derived terms

• 김매다 (gimmaeda)

See also

• 잡(雜)풀 (jap'pul)
• 잡초(雜草) (japcho)

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 金 (“gold; metal”). This reading is found only in the surname and certain place names. Orthodox Sino-Korean is 금 (金, geum).

Most likely a borrowing from Early Mandarin 金 (EM *kim) during Mongol rule in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kim]
• Phonetic hangul: [김]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kim

Proper noun

김 • (Gim) (hanja 金)

1. a surname, Kim (most common surname in Korea)

   김연아 (金姸兒) ― Gim Yeon-a ― Yuna Kim

   김정은 (金正恩) ― Gim Jeong-eun ― Kim Jong-un

   김대중 (金大中) ― Gim Daejung ― Kim Dae-jung

Descendants

• English: Kim, Gim
• Ukrainian: Кім (Kim)

References

1. 권인한 [gwoninhan] (2004) “성씨 김(金)의 한자음 연원을 찾아서 [seongssi gimui hanja'eum yeonwoneul chajaseo]”, in Sae Gugeo Saenghwal‎ (in Korean), volume 14, number 4, pages 143—155