나무

Korean

Etymology

First attested as Late Old Korean 南木 (*namwo) in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103. Also attested in the same source as 南 (*nam) and 南記 (*namki).^[1]

In the Hangeul script, first attested as Middle Korean 나모 (nàmwò) in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447. The Middle Korean word had two allomorphs, surfacing as 나모 (nàmwò) in isolation or when followed by a consonant-initial suffix and as 나ᇚ (nàmk-) when followed by a vowel-initial suffix. A similar distinction is retained in some Eastern dialects, whereas other dialects reflect the medial velar.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [na̠mu]
• Phonetic hangul: [나무]

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

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 나무의 / 나무에 / 나무까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the second syllable, except before consonant-initial multisyllabic suffixes, when it takes full low pitch.

Noun

나무 • (namu) (counter 그루)

1. tree
2. wood

   나무는 종이를 만드는 재료로 쓰인다.

   Namu-neun jong'i-reul mandeuneun jaeryo-ro sseu'inda.

   Wood is used as a material to make paper.

   Audio:

   (file)

   최근의 어느 바람 불던 날, 수백명의 방문객이 빙하 앞에서 사진을 찍으려고 나무 계단을 올라갔다.

   Choegeun-ui eoneu baram buldeon nal, subaengmyeong-ui bangmun'gaeg-i bingha ap-eseo sajin-eul jjigeuryeogo namu gyedan-eul ollagatda.

   On a recent windy day, hundreds of visitors climbed wooden stairs to take pictures in front of the glacier.

Derived terms

• 가시나무 (gasinamu)
• 개암나무 (gaeamnamu)
• 국수나무 (guksunamu)
• 나무껍질 (namukkeopjil)
• 나무꾼 (namukkun)
• 나무늘보 (namuneulbo)
• 나무딸기 (namuttalgi, “raspberry”)
• 나무줄기 (namujulgi, “tree trunk”)
• 나무하다 (namuhada)
• 나뭇가지 (namutgaji)
• 나뭇결 (namutgyeol)
• 나뭇등걸 (namutdeunggeol, “tree stump”)
• 나뭇잎 (namunnip)
• 느릅나무 (neureumnamu, “elm”)
• 느티나무 (neutinamu, “zelkova”)
• 닥나무 (dangnamu)
• 단풍나무 (danpungnamu)
• 등나무 (deungnamu, “wisteria”)
• 땔나무 (ttaellamu, “firewood”)
• 물푸레나무 (mulpurenamu)
• 벚나무 (beonnamu, “cherry tree”)
• 비파나무 (bipanamu)
• 사철나무 (sacheollamu)
• 산딸나무 (santtallamu)
• 삼나무 (samnamu)
• 소나무 (sonamu)
• 자귀나무 (jagwinamu, “silk tree”)
• 자두나무 (jadunamu)
• 참나무 (chamnamu)
• 통나무 (tongnamu)
• 향나무 (hyangnamu)
• 화살나무 (hwasallamu)

 

References

1. 최영선 (2015) 鷄林類事의 음운론적 연구 [A phonological study of the Jīlín lèishì] (Doctoral thesis)‎, 광주: 전남대학교