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About the etymology of ‘아가위’ and ‘찔레’

  • Korean Language & Literature
  • 2014, (89), pp.5-23
  • Publisher : Korean Language & Literature
  • Research Area : Humanities > Korean Language and Literature

Cho, Hang-bum 1

1충북대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

‘찔레’ as well as ‘아가위’ is the name of fruit originally. These fruits are similar in the color of red and in the shape of round being like a pear. In addition to similar shape, the two fruits have the common word form, ‘ㅂㅣ[梨]’(pear) in the roots. Based upon with these similarities, this thesis traces the origin of ‘아가위’ and ‘찔레’ at once. ‘아가위’ was in the form of ‘아가외’ in the documents of the 16th century. ‘아가외’ goes back to ‘*아가ㅸㅣ’, and ‘*아가ㅸㅣ’ is the combination of ‘아가’(baby) and ‘비[梨]’(pear). The etymology of ‘아가’ is not certain but it is assumed that the word could be a ‘어린 아이’(baby). Then, ‘*아가ㅸㅣ’ means ‘(아기처럼) 작은 배’(little pear as a cute baby). Because a round little pear fruit reminds all-round cute baby, the fruit was named like that. ‘아가외’ became ‘아가위’ because of the vowel change of ‘ㅚ>ㅟ’. The tree with ‘아가외’ fruit is ‘아가외나모’ and it remains as ‘아가위나무’ now. ‘찔레’ was in the form of ‘딜위’ in the documents of the 16th century. ‘딜위’ goes back to ‘*딜ㅸㅣ’. ‘비’ in ‘*딜ㅸㅣ’ means a ‘梨’(pear) as in the ‘비’ in ‘*아가ㅸㅣ’. But the original meaning of ‘딜’ is not certain. From this, it can be assumed that ‘*딜ㅸㅣ’ is originally a name of fruit because there is the ‘비[梨]’ in the word. The fruit looks like a round little pear in shape that the ‘비’ was used to form the word. ‘*딜ㅸㅣ’ became ‘*딜외>딜위>질위>*질뤼>질늬>ㅾㅣㄹ늬/질네>ㅾㅣㄹ레’ and then ‘찔레’ now. The word ‘딜위’ was originally for the name of fruit but now it is used to refer a tree with the fruit. Also there may have been ‘*딜위나모’ using ‘딜위’, then it remains ‘찔레나무’ now.

Citation status

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