누이

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Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Joseon gwannyeogeo (朝鮮館驛語 / 조선관역어), 1403~1424, as Middle Korean 餒必 (Yale: *nwuWi). In the hangul script, first attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 누의 (Yale: nwùùy).

Ultimately appears to be from pre-Middle Korean */nup/ "sister" with the euphonic noun suffix (-i) attached, as seen by the final vocalism in the Gyeongsang dialect form 누부 (nubu, older sister of a male) which is incompatible if the vowel -i was always part of the root. The phonologically conservative Gyeongsang and Yukjin dialects conserve the original /p~b/ in this word.

Pronunciation

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?nu'i
Revised Romanization (translit.)?nu'i
McCune–Reischauer?nui
Yale Romanization?nwui

Noun

누이 (nu'i)

  1. (dated) sister
  2. (Pyongan) older sister of a male
    Synonym: 누나 (nuna)

Synonyms

Historical and regional synonyms of 누나 (nuna, older sister of a male)
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GroupRegionLocationWords
Standardised formsSouth Korean Standard Language누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.)
North Korean Cultured Language누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.)
Historical formsMiddle Korean누의 (nwùùy) (also y.)
Early Modern Seoul Korean누의 (nuui) (also y.), 누위 (nuwi) (also y.)
Central KoreanGyeonggiModern colloquial Seoul누나 (nuna), 누님 (nunim) (hon.)
YeongdongGangneung누우 (nùú), ()
Jeongseon누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.)
South ChungcheongSeosan뉘님 (nwīnim)
Yesan뉘나 (nwīna)
Hongseong뉘님 (nwīnim)
Boryeong뉘나 (nwina)
Buyeo누님 (nunim), 누이 (nu'i)
Seocheon누님 (nunim), 눈님 (nunnim)
Gyeongsang KoreanNorth GyeongsangDaegu누'부 (nu bu)
Mungyeong'누나 ( nuna), 누님 (núnìm)
Andong (nu), 누님 (núnìm)
Gumi누'우 (nu u)
Goryeong누'부 (nu bu)
South GyeongsangBusan누'부 (nu bu), 누임 (núìm) (hon.)
Ulsan누'부 (nu bu), 누부 (nubu)
Changwon누'부 (nu bu), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Geochang누'부 (nu bu), '누나 ( nuna), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Hapcheon누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u)
Changnyeong누'부 (nu bu), 누'비 (nu bi), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Miryang누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u), '누나 ( nuna), 누'우야 (nu uya)
Hamyang누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Sancheong누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.), 누우님 (nùúnìm) (hon), 눈님 (núnnìm) (hon.)
Uiryeong누'우 (nu u)
Hadong누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u), (nu), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.), 누님 (núnìm) (hon.)
Jinju누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Haman누'부 (nu bu), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Gimhae누'부 (nu bu)
Yangsan누'부 (nu bu), '누나 ( nuna)
Sacheon누'우 (nu u)
Goseong누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u)
Namhae누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u)
Geoje누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.), 엉가 (éunggà)
Ulju누'부 (nu bu), '누나 ( nuna)
DiasporaHarbin눈님 (núnnìm)
Jeolla KoreanNorth JeollaGunsan (nu), 누님 (nunim)
Iksan누나 (nuna), 누님 (nunim)
Muju누지 (nūji), 누나 (nuna), (seong), 형님 (hyeongnim)
South JeollaYeonggwang누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim)
Gokseong (nu)
Hampyeong누임 (nūim)
Muan (nu), (nwī), 매씨 (messi) (married)
Gwangyang누님 (nūnim)
Jindo누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim)
Wando누나 (nūna), (nu), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.), (nwīm) (hon), 매씨 (messi) (married)
Goheung누님 (nūnim), 누나 (nūna) (voc.)
Yeosu누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim)
Pyongan KoreanSouth PyonganRyonggang누이 (nu'i) (unmarried, also y.), 누님 (nunim) (married)
Mundok누이 (nu'i) (unmarried, also y.), 누님 (nunim) (married)
North PyonganSonchon (nwi)
Ryongchon누이 (nu'i), 누님 (nunim) (hon.)
Chosan누이 (nu'i), 누님 (nunim) (married)
DiasporaShenyang누야 (nuya) (also y.)
Hamgyong KoreanNorth HamgyongSamsu누'어미 (nu eomi)
Yukjin KoreanYukjinKyongwon누비 (nùbì), 누배 (nùbàe)
DiasporaHunchun느비 (nèubì), 느베 (nèubè)
Longjing누애 (nùàe), 누얘 (nùyàe), 누이님 (nùìním) (married)
JejuJeju City누님 (nunim)
Daejeong누님 (nunim)
Gujwa누님 (nunim)
Seogwipo누님 (nunim)
hon.: honorific / voc.: vocative / chil.: childish (exact age range may differ)
also y.: refers to any sister of a male, regardless of relative age
This table is an amalgamation of surveys of speakers mostly born before 1950 and may not reflect the language of younger speakers, which has lexically converged towards the standard Seoul dialect in both North and South Koreas.

See also

  • 오라비 (orabi, brother of a female)
  • 동생 (dongsaeng, younger sibling)
  • (hyeong, older same-sex sibling)