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사람. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
사람, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
사람 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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Korean
Alternative forms
- 사ᄅᆞᆷ (saram) — Early Modern
Etymology
First attested in the Hunminjeong'eum haerye (訓民正音解例 / 훈민정음해례), 1446, as Middle Korean 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (Yale: sǎlòm), from earlier Old Korean 人音 (*SALOm).
In Middle Korean, 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (Yale: sǎlòm) was 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". 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):
- Phonetic hangul:
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
| Romanizations |
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| Revised Romanization? | saram |
|---|
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | salam |
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| McCune–Reischauer? | saram |
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| Yale Romanization? | sālam |
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Noun
사람 • (saram)
- 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
- (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
Counter
사람 • (saram)
- counter for people
- Synonym: 명(名) (myeong)
- 학생 세 사람 ― haksaeng se saram ― three students
References
- ^ Lee, Ki-Moon; Ramsey, S. Robert (2011) A History of the Korean Language, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 176