서울

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Jeju

Alternative forms

Etymology

Cognate with Korean 서울 (Seoul), from Sillan 徐羅伐 (서라벌 (Seorabeol)).

Pronunciation

Noun

서울 (seoul)

  1. capital

Proper noun

서울 (seoul)

  1. Seoul (the capital city of South Korea)

References

  • 서울” in Jeju's culture and language, Digital museum.

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the generic "capital" sense in the Samguk yusa (三國遺事 / 삼국유사), 1281:

國號徐羅伐徐伐徐伐以此 [Korean Literary Sinitic, trad.]
국호서라벌서벌 금속훈경자운서벌 이차고야 [Sino-Korean]
The name of the kingdom was Syelapel or Syepel. This is why, today, the Korean word for the character (gyeong, capital city) is syepel.

The modern sense of "Seoul" is simply because Seoul was the capital of Korea from 1394 onwards.

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

Also attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 셔〯욿 (Yale: syěwùlh).

Pronunciation

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?Seoul
Revised Romanization (translit.)?Seoul
McCune–Reischauer?Sŏul
Yale Romanization?sewul

Noun

서울 (seoul)

  1. (dated) capital; large city
    Synonym: 수도(首都) (sudo)
    파리 프랑스 서울이다.
    Pari-neun Peurangseu-ui seour-ida.
    Paris is the capital of France.
    우리나라 서울 서울이다.
    urinara-ui seour-eun Seour-ida.
    The capital of our country (i.e. Korea) is Seoul.

See also

Proper noun

 서울특별시 on Korean Wikipedia

서울 (Seoul)

  1. Seoul (the capital city of South Korea)
    서울 가요.
    Seour-e gayo.
    (I am, you are, he is, etc.) going to Seoul. / Let's go to Seoul
    Audio (South Korea):(file)

Usage notes

  • Unlike the majority of Korean place names, 서울 (Seoul) does not have a hanja form, so is only written in hangul.

Descendants

  • Burmese: ဆောအူလ် (hcau:ul)
  • Chinese: 首爾首尔 (Shǒu'ěr)
  • English: Seoul (possibly through a French-based romanization)
  • French: Séoul
    • English: Seoul (possible)
  • Japanese: ソウル
  • Norwegian Bokmål: Seoul
  • Spanish: Seúl

See also