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The Visualization of Voices and the Unification of the Written and Spoken Language with Chinese Characters in the Newspaper Manse - bo

Song Minho 1

1홍익대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examines the attached Korean transcription style adopted by the newspaper Manse-bo, which was published in 1906. At that time, Son Byong-hi (孫秉熙, 1861-1922), a religious sect leader of Cheondogyo annotated Hangul (Korean alphabet) beside Chinese characters when he founded the newspaper, and brought in a type called 'Ruby' in Japan. The Korean and Chinese characters used in combination showed through visualization the relationship of Korean and Chinese characters as they co-existed in the language environment of Korea in the Joseon Dynasty. However, in Korea, the vocal tradition that reads Chinese characters and the translation tradition that inscribes the meaning are thoroughly separated. Although each Chinese character had a correct annotation through this orthography, people who did not know Chinese characters could not have any chance to understand their meaning. Therefore, the newspaper Manse-bo at the time mostly used a method that annotated voice on modern concept words borrowed from the west. It also attempted an experiment in language through columns such as Gungmundokjagurakbu (國文讀者俱樂部), in which Chinese characters were matched to Hangul not through annotation voice, but by matching the meaning of annotation focusing on the words expressing action or description. It should be noted that this language marking experiment was part of a transitional process which resulted, in the end, in a complete Korean style, and not a reconstitution that was influenced by the Japanese way of reading Chinese classics. The phonetic and descriptive (or analytic) tradition established from the Joseon period had made an impact. In addition, the way of writing adopted in the newspaper Manse-bo brings to mind the relationship between Chinese characters and Korean letters that was brought up by the driving forces of Dongnipsinmun (『독립신문』) in the previous period. At the time, Seo Jae-pil (徐載弼, 1864-1951) and Ju Si-gyeong (周時經, 1876-1914) had expressed their opinions about the matter of transliterating from Chinese. The major focus of this discussion was how far it would be possible to transliterate from Chinese letters. Seo Jae-pil and Ju Si-gyeong both considered how deeply the concept of transliterated Chinese was imbedded within the everyday language of the people. In conjunction with this, they emphasized the need for enlightenment of modern western ideas. The attached Korean transcription style introduced by Manse-bo contributed to provoking, once again, attention on the discourse on the Korean language and the matter of enlightenment, which had been brought forth in this period. Furthermore, it recalled the conditions that eventually resulted in the establishment of the complete Korean style, since the tradition of reading the meaning of Chinese characters had not existed in Korea.

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