삼다

From Middle Korean 삼〯다〮 (sǎm-tá), from Old Korean 沙音 (*sam-). In the hangul script, first attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 삼〯다〮 (Yale: sǎm-tá).

When expressing the sense of "to take A as B", Old Korean appears to have natively used the expression "A乙 B沙音", with A taking the accusative particle 乙 (*-ol) and B combining directly with the verb *sam- without an intervening particle.

Old Korean texts of any reasonable length are all close translations of a Chinese original, and the Literary Chinese text often used 以 (yǐ, “to use”) in the construction "以 (yǐ)A爲 / 为B" for the sense of "to take A as B". These constructions were translated into Old Korean as "A乙 以厼 B沙音", with A continuing to take the accusative particle but now becoming the object of the verb 以 (*PSU-) instead, with the literal meaning "to take as B while using A".

In Middle Korean, however, "to take A as B" is generally expressed as "A-로 (-lwo) B-ᄅᆞᆯ (-lol) 삼다 (samta)", with B taking the accusative particle -ᄅᆞᆯ (Yale: -lol) and A now taking the instrumental particle -로 (Yale: -lwo). An Ye-ri theorizes that this was the result of syntactic influence from the Chinese "以 (yǐ)A爲 / 为B" construction, as Chinese 以 (yǐ) was usually perceived as being equivalent to the Korean instrumental particle -로 (Yale: -lwo). Thus speakers may have initially imitated the Chinese syntax by using the instrumental particle for A rather than the accusative, after which B was reanalyzed as being the direct object of 삼〯다〮 (Yale: sǎm-tá).

For unknown reasons, the particles were switched in the early twentieth century, producing the contemporary Korean construction "A-를 B-로 삼다".

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

• Homophone: 삶다 (samda)

삼다 • (samda) (infinitive 삼아, sequential 삼으니)

1. (literary, transitive) to take as; to forge a relationship; to make (a thing) of; to have (a thing or a person as) (generally used with the instrumental particle -로 (-ro))

   나를 스승으로 삼겠느냐? ― na-reul seuseung-euro sam-gen-neunya? ― Will you take me as your mentor?

• 말미암다 (malmiamda)

First attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 삼다 (Yale: sam-ta). Verbalisation of 삼〮 (Yale: sám, “flax”).

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

• Homophone: 삶다 (samda)

삼다 • (samda) (infinitive 삼아, sequential 삼으니) (transitive)

1. to make (sandals)
2. to spin (hemp)

Sino-Korean word from 蔘茶.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

삼다 • (samda) (hanja 蔘茶)

1. synonym of 인삼차(人蔘茶) (insamcha, “ginseng tea”)

• 안예리 (An Ye-ri) (2009) “'삼다' 구문의 통시적 변화 ”, in Han'gugeohak, volume 43, pages 179–206