송곳

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Hyang'yak chaejip wollyeong (鄕藥採集月令 / 향약채집월령), 1431, as Middle Korean 所乙串 (Yale: *swolkwos).^[1]

In the hangul script, first attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 솔〯옷〮 (Yale: swǒlGwós), from *솔〯— (Yale: *swǒl-, “narrow”, whence modern 솔다 (solda)) + 곳〮 (Yale: kwós, “skewer”).^[1]

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “swolGwos is obviously not the direct ancestor; we would expect 소롯.”)

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	songgot
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	songgos
McCune–Reischauer?	songgot
Yale Romanization?	sōngkos

Noun

송곳 • (songgot)

1. awl, gimlet

Derived terms

• 송곳날 (songgonnal)
• 송곳눈 (songgonnun)
• 송곳니 (songgonni)

 

References

1. Lee, Ki-Moon, Ramsey, S. Robert (2011) A History of the Korean Language, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 148