길

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길 U+AE38, 길
HANGUL SYLLABLE GIL
Composition:ㄱ + ㅣ + ㄹ
← 긷
 		Hangul Syllables 긹 →
기긱긲긳긴긵긶
긷길긹긺긻긼긽
긾긿김깁깂깃깄
깅깆깇깈깉깊깋
긔 ←→ 까

Korean

Etymology 1

From Early Modern Korean 긿 (kilh), from Middle Korean 긿〮 (kílh), probably ultimately from Old Korean 道尸 (*KIl). The Middle Korean /-h/ may be the remnant of an ancient place-related suffix; see Appendix:Middle Korean h-final nouns.

In the Hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 긿〮 (Yale: kílh).

Pronunciation

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kil
  • South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 길의 / 길에 / 길까지

    Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch and also heightens the next suffixed syllable, unless it is 에.

Noun

숲속의 길 (supsog-ui gil, “a road through the forest”).

길 • (gil)

  1. (also figuratively) a road, a path, a street, a track; passage, thoroughfare
    아직도 갈 길이 멀고 험하다.
    Ajik-do gal gir-i meolgo heom-hada.
    There's still a long and treacherous road ahead.
    그는 독신의 길을 택하였다.
    Geu-neun doksin-ui gir-eul taek-hayeotda.
    He chose the path of celibacy.
  2. a way, (on) the way; a route/course (e.g. an airway or sea route)
    그는 길을 잃고 숲속을 헤맸다.
    Geu-neun gir-eul ilko supsog-eul hemaetda.
    He got lost and wandered about the woods.
    (literally, “He lost his way and wandered about the woods.”)
    돌아오는 길에 잠깐 들렀어. (casual)
    Doraoneun gir-e jamkkan deulleosseo.
    stopped by on the way back.
  3. (figuratively) the road (to)..., the path (to)...
    민주화의 길은 험하디 험했다.
    Minjuhwa-ui gir-eun heom-ha-di heom-haetda.
    The road to democracy was not easy.
    그는 변호사의 길을 걷고 있다.
    Geu-neun byeonhosa-ui gir-eul geotgo itda.
    He is on the path to become a lawyer.
  4. (figuratively) a way, a means, a method
    Synonym: 방도(方道) (bangdo)
    그것이 성공의 유일한 길이다.
    Geugeos-i seonggong-ui yuil-han girida.
    That's the only way to success.
    너의 마음을 알 길이 없구나.
    Neo-ui ma'eum-eul al gir-i eopguna.
    I have no way of reading your mind.
Alternative forms
Derived terms
Derived terms
See also
  • 道 (do), 路 (ro), hanjas for "road; path"

Etymology 2

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

Was subject to hypercorrection by Seoul speakers to avoid the /ki/ > /t͡ɕi/ palatalization in southern dialects, producing Early Modern Korean 길 (kil); 김치 (gimchi) and 기와 (giwa) are two other well-known examples of this phenomenon. Non-standard dialects commonly preserve the original form.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

길 • (gil)

  1. (of animals) training; domestication
    그 개는 길이 잘 들어서 말을 잘 듣는다.
    Geu gae-neun gir-i jal deureoseo mar-eul jal deunneunda.
    The dog is obedient because it was well-trained.
    (literally, “The dog is obedient because training has well entered it.”)
  2. (of tools, etc.) breaking in; wear
    갓 산 새 신발이라 아직 길이 안 들었다.
    Gat san sae sinbar-ira ajik gir-i an deureotda.
    Having just bought these shoes, they haven't been broken in yet.
    (literally, “Having just bought these shoes, breaking in hasn't entered them yet.”)
  3. (less common) familiarity; skill
Usage notes
  • Used chiefly with the verbs 들다 (deulda, “to enter”, intransitive) and 들이다 (deurida, “to let in”, transitive), and sometimes with the verb 나다 (nada, “to arise”, intransitive).
Alternative forms
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 3

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 길〯 (Yale: kǐl), related to 길〯다〮 (Yale: kǐl-tá, “to be long”).

Pronunciation

  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key):
  • Phonetic hangul:
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kīl

Noun

 길 (단위) on Korean Wikipedia

길 • (gil)

  1. a gil, a traditional Korean unit of measurement
    1. the gil, a traditional Korean unit of length equal to 8 or 10 Korean foot (자 (ja)), equivalent to approximately 2.4 m and 3 m respectively
    2. the gil, a traditional Korean unit of length equal to the height of a person; a fathom
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 4

Of native Korean origin.

Pronunciation

  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key):
  • Phonetic hangul:
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kīl

Noun

저고리의 길 (jeogori-ui gil, “the gil labelled in a diagram of a jeogori”).

길 • (gil)

  1. (clothing) the gil, the large body section of the upper garment in traditional clothing such as the 저고리 (jeogori) or 두루마기 (durumagi)

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 吉.

Pronunciation

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?Gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?Gil
McCune–Reischauer?Kil
Yale Romanization?kil

Proper noun

길 • (Gil) (hanja 吉)

  1. a surname

Root

길 • (gil) (hanja 吉)

  1. Root of 길(吉)하다 (gilhada, “to be auspicious”). Rarely used alone.

Derived terms

Etymology 6

See the main entries.

Adjective

길 • (gil)

  1. irrealis adnominal of 길다 (gilda, “to be long”)

Verb

길 • (gil)

  1. future determiner of 길다 (gilda, “(of hair) to grow long”)

Verb

길 • (gil)

  1. future determiner of 기다 (gida, “to crawl”)

Etymology 7

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

길 (gil)

Extended content
  1. 吉: luck
    (eumhun reading: [길할]] 길 ([gilhal]] gil))
    (MC reading: 吉 (MC kjit))
  2. 佶:
    (MC reading: 佶 (MC git))
  3. 桔:
    (MC reading: 桔 (MC ket))
  4. 姞:
    (MC reading: 姞 (MC git))
  5. 拮:
    (MC reading: 拮 (MC kjit|ket))
  6. 蛣:
    (MC reading: 蛣 (MC khjit))

References

  1. ^ Samuel E. Martin (1992) A Reference Grammar of Korean: A Complete Guide to the Grammar and History of the Korean Language, first edition, Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc., →ISBN, page 87

Middle Korean

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Counter

길〯 (kǐl)

  1. a gil, a traditional Korean unit of length equal to the height of a person; a fathom
Descendants
  • Korean: 길 (gil)

Etymology 2

Noun

길〮 (kíl)

  1. Isolated form spelling of 긿〮 (kílh, “road”)
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