語
- speech, words, language;
- to speak;
Encompasses the ideas of spoken communication and language itself.
Representative meanings include: to inform, to announce, to speak / to talk, to answerm, to explain.
Etymology
It is a phonosemantic compound character, made by combining:
言 (언) – the component indicating the meaning (“speech, words”);
吾 (오) – the component indicating the sound.
According to etymologists, when viewed purely phonologically (by sound), 語 is the original form, and 言 later derived from it.
《說文解字》 (Shuowen Jiezi):
「語，論也。」
“語 means to discuss / to speak.”
Usage in Korean
In modern Korean vocabulary:
Words using 언 (言) tend to refer to the content of speech (e.g., 발언 statement, 언론 press).
Words using 어 (語) often refer to the form or classification of language (e.g., 어휘 vocabulary, 국어 national language).
언어 (言語) — language
어휘 (語彙) — vocabulary
어법 (語法) — grammar
어순 (語順) — word order
어감 (語感) — linguistic nuance; feel of words
어조 (語調) — tone of speech
구어 (口語) — spoken language
문어 (文語) — written language
Words that derived from 語
- 국어(國語)–official language; native language; Korean language
- 국어사전(國語辭典)–Korean dictionary
- 단어(單語)–word
- 모어(母語)–mother tongue
- 문어(文語)–written language
- 문화어(文化語)–Culture Language
- 밀어(蜜語)–lovers' whispers
- 반의어(反義語/反意語)–antonym
- 불어(佛語)–French
- 스웨덴어(Sweden語)–Swedish
- 시어(詩語)–poetic diction
- 언어(言語)–language
- 영어(英語)–English
- 외국어(外國語)–foreign language
- 유의어(類義語)–synonym
- 일본어(日本語)–Japanese
- 일어(日語)–Japanese
- 조선어(朝鮮語)–Korean
- 주어(主語)–subject
- 중국어(中國語)–Chinese
- 파생어(派生語)–derivative
- 한국어(韓國語)–Korean; Korean language
- 한자어(漢字語)–Sino-Korean word
- 합성어(合成語)–compound word
Additional notes
Related characters:
言 — speech; words (more abstract)
話 — talk; conversation
詞 — words; diction (literary)
文 — written language; text
語 emphasizes meaningful language, not noise. It bridges spoken and written language.
Classical citations:
《論語》 (The Analects)
「君子欲訥於言而敏於行。」
“The noble man wishes to be slow in speech and quick in action.”
Here 言 and 語 belong to the same semantic field of speech.
《史記》 (Records of the Grand Historian)
「不可同日而語。」
“They cannot be spoken of on the same day” — cannot be compared.
- 卜口一一口 (YRMMR)
- ⿰ 訁 吾
