
In recent times, periodic updates of the Oxford English Dictionary have added many Korean-language phrases, albeit romanized, to suit the English language. The OED is the main authority on the English language’s vocabulary. Meant to hint the historical past of the English language, the dictionary was first printed in 1884. A second full version was printed in 1989, comprising 20 volumes. The third version is underway, which Oxford College Press has mentioned is not going to be printed however shall be accessible solely electronically. Greater than 500,000 phrases are included, with data on etymology, archaic utilization and present utilization.
It isn’t my function to record all of the Korean-sourced phrases added to the OED lately (a pair dozen). The globalization of Okay-culture has considerably affected English audio system‘ use of such vocabulary. We might be sure that English is just not the one language affected by globalization. Languages evolve over time as exterior cultural forces come into play. Such evolution is multidirectional.
After I first got here to Korea within the Nineteen Seventies, many borrowed Japanese expressions had been nonetheless utilized in on a regular basis Korean conversations. In fact, for the reason that 1950-53 Korean Battle period, many English phrases have additionally come into frequent utilization. An increasing number of, with its decidedly Western and U.S. orientation, English phrases crop up consistently in every day dialog. Korea’s phonetic alphabet makes such a metamorphosis simply doable.
I just lately lectured to a gaggle of highschool college students at a “international language” highschool close to Seoul. These younger folks requested me to mirror on my experiences of my virtually 50-year-long journey with the Korean language and tradition. The group of scholars, greater than 100 in all, is the “cream of the crop” of Korean highschool college students.
As we examined the intersection between language and tradition, I started to know that typically, the intersection is extra like a collision, for there aren’t any site visitors indicators. As a lot as some want to suppose their tradition and ethnicity have developed in a vacuum with out exterior affect, nothing could possibly be farther from the reality.
The English language, as we all know it as we speak, is the product of a millennia-long confrontation between warring empires, invasions, ever-changing political alliances and each emigration and immigration. For hundreds of years, the church that prevailed in most of Europe, identified as we speak because the Roman Catholic Church, insisted on utilizing Latin whatever the frequent vernacular. Church authorities had energy over kings and princes and will make the principles. The Bible was accessible solely in Latin. Vernacular translations had been forbidden on ache of loss of life. Prayers, songs and so on., throughout worship had been executed in Latin.
Unsurprisingly, many European languages, English included, have in depth vocabularies based mostly on Latin phrases. Earlier than the heavy Latin affect, the Angles and the Saxons had their very own languages, which morphed into the Anglo-Saxon language about 1,000 or so years in the past. Because the British Isles grew to become Christianized, the Latin language exerted its affect. However Germanic languages nonetheless performed a giant position. By the point of Queen Elizabeth I within the mid-1500s, French was the generally spoken language of diplomacy, and educated folks in England might use the language simply. The official title of the British monarch is “Dei Gratia Rex…” “By the grace of God, King.” “Rex” is Latin for king (“Regina” for queen). Establishments of upper studying, even many in Korea, have adopted mottos utilizing the Latin language.
Over the a number of thousand years of historical past on the Korean Peninsula, there have been dozens of statelets and tribal confederations, which ultimately morphed into kingdoms and, lastly, the republic. However all through these many lengthy years, wars have been fought up and down the peninsula. Exterior forces from mainland Asia, together with the various kingdoms of China and the northern invaders from Mongolia and Manchuria. Baekje and Silla fought one another, and Goguryeo fought on one aspect after which one other. And so goes the course of human historical past. In each case, the cultures and idiosyncrasies of language affected the others. (Dispel all imaginations of a unified language spoken on the peninsula in historical instances!)
So, the Korean language’s time has come. In spite of everything the skin forces, wars, imperialists and colonialists have handed, Korea is now “invading” the cultures and languages of the remainder of the world. We see this in meals tradition, music types, cosmetics, cars, electronics and so on. The record is lengthy. The OED’s recognition of Korean vocabulary is a well timed response to the extension of Korea’s wealthy heritage worldwide.
Language is just not and by no means has been static. From the earliest spoken communication, expressions have been developed throughout the context of the speaker group’s cultural setting. Be it the various phrases for snow within the languages of the northernmost components of the world or the a number of phrases for rice in Asia — in every case, depending on the situation of the snow or the rice (mild, fluffy snow, heavy moist snow, rice seedlings, rice kernels, cooked rice). As people proceed to develop, evolve, study and blend with others, our languages will change so we will talk as successfully as doable.
Rev. Steven L. Shields, FRAS {slshields@gmail.com} has lived in Korea for a few years, starting within the Nineteen Seventies. A Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Nice Britain and Eire, he’s additionally a lifelong member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea, of which he was a director, vp and president. He was a replica editor of The Korea Instances in 1977. The views expressed on this article are the writer’s personal and don’t mirror The Korea Instances’ editorial stance.