사람

Korean

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Korean 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (sǎlòm), first attested in the Hunminjeong'eum haerye (訓民正音解例 / 훈민정음해례), 1446.

From earlier Old Korean 人音 (*SALOm), first attested in the “Suhui gongdeokga” (隨喜功德歌 / 수희공덕가), before 973. The word is also attested as Old Korean 人米 in the same source.

The Middle Korean form, 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (Yale: sǎlòm), is analyzed as a derived substantive of 살〯다〮 (Yale: sǎl-tá, “to live”) with ᄋᆞᆷ (Yale: -om, nominalizer) (> modern 음 (eum)), and thus literally meant "one who is alive".^[1] It is no longer perceived as a derived noun by modern speakers. Doublet of 삶 (sam).

Cognate with Jeju 사름 (sareum).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈsʰa̠(ː)ɾa̠m]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [사(ː)람]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	saram
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	salam
McCune–Reischauer?	saram
Yale Romanization?	sālam

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 사람의 / 사람에 / 사람까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the second syllable, and also heightens the subsequent suffixed syllable.

Noun

사람 • (saram)

1. human being, person

   Synonyms: 인간(人間) (in'gan, “human being”), (honorific) 분 (bun), (dated or formal) 이 (i)

   그러면 내가 어떤 사람이 되는 거겠어?

   Geureomyeon nae-ga eotteon saram-i doeneun geo-gess-eo?

   What kind of person would I be then?

   영국 사람 ― Yeongguk saram ― A British person

   미국 사람 ― Miguk saram ― An American person

2. (law) a person (encompassing both legal and natural persons)

   Synonym: 인(人) (in)

   Hyponyms: 법인(法人) (beobin, “legal person”), 자연인(自然人) (jayeonin, “natural person”)

Derived terms

• 눈사람 (nunsaram, “snowman, snowperson”)
• 뱃사람 (baetsaram, “sailor”)
• 생(生)사람 (saengsaram, “innocent person, living person”)
• 아랫사람 (araetsaram, “one's junior, subordinate, underling”)
• 윗사람 (witsaram, “one's senior, elder, superior”)
• 집사람 (jipsaram, “(humble) one's wife”)
• 촌(村)사람 (chonsaram, “country person”)

 

See also

• 人 (in), the hanja for "human"

Counter

사람 • (saram)

1. counter for people

   Synonym: 명(名) (myeong)

   학생 세 사람 ― haksaeng se saram ― three students

References

1. Lee, Ki-Moon, Ramsey, S. Robert (2011) A History of the Korean Language, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 176