From Middle Korean 모밇 (Yale: mwomilh), probably 뫃 (Yale: mwoh, “edge, spike”) + 밇 (Yale: milh, “wheat”), in reference to the shape of the seeds; compare English buckwheat. First attested in Sinicized form in the 1260s as 木麥 / 木麦, where 木 appears to be an ateji. First attested in Hangul form in 1518.
Reanalyzed in the nineteenth or early twentieth century as being equivalent to 메 (me, “wild; non-glutinous”)— + 밀 (mil, “wheat”); when Korean was standardized in the 1930s, the innovative form was chosen as standard.
Romanizations | |
---|---|
Revised Romanization? | memil |
Revised Romanization (translit.)? | memil |
McCune–Reischauer? | memil |
Yale Romanization? | meymil |
Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the second syllable, except before consonant-initial multisyllabic suffixes, when it takes full low pitch.
메밀 • (memil)