Getting started
If you watch an entertainment program, the game is sometimes played with a “do not use a foreign language” rule. If you use a foreign language during the game, you'll be penalized. It's one of the images you can easily see in entertainment such as Running Man and Shin Seo Yu-ki. I'm curious when I see them playing games according to those rules. If the rule only prohibits foreign languages, are foreign words allowed, and if so, what are the differences between the two. I'm sure everyone has had similar questions.
Foreign languages are used on a daily basis as much as Korean in our language life. So the cast members have a lot of trouble adhering to those rules. When I saw that scene, I suddenly felt something like this. Are foreign words not included in the category of foreign languages? Where and where should we define it as a foreign language or as a foreign language? This aspect is also very important when it comes to localization. This is because there are differences in translation depending on whether you look at this word as a foreign language or as a foreign language. So in today's letter, I'm going to explain this topic.
Foreign languages and foreign words
If the language is clearly from another country, such as English, Chinese, or Japanese, it can simply be summed up as a foreign language. There's no reason to confuse this with foreign words. So what about the words below? Take a look and think twice. If each was divided into a foreign language and a foreign language, it would be a good idea to summarize the reasons why you thought so and read the article.
“Bus, chewing gum, boiler, banana, vinyl, shampoo, lip balm, hot pack, brand, high heels,
Power strip, earphone, lutein, internet, bluetooth, diary, elevator”
Have you sorted out your thoughts? So let's first take a look at the dictionary definitions of the two words.
Dictionary definitions of foreign words and foreign words
Standard Korean Dictionary]
- Foreign languages: words from other countries. A word that came from a foreign country and has not yet settled into the national language. Ex) Movies, milk, etc.
- Foreign words: Words that come from a foreign country that are not native words and are used as native languages. It means words taken directly from another language without translation or with almost minimal translation. Ex) Buses, computers, pianos, etc.
Wikipedia]
- Foreign language: A language other than the official language adopted in the country. Or a language other than the one used in the curriculum.
- Foreign words: Words imported from a foreign country that are not native words and are used as native languages. It means words taken directly from another language without translation or with minimal translation.
Can you sort out the difference between the two by looking at the dictionary definition? I've seen the meaning of the two words defined in the dictionary, but it's not easy to clearly distinguish between the two. If you just look at the words themselves, I think English is correct, but there are words that don't seem easy to replace with other words in Korean. Also, there are words that are used like English in Korea but are unlikely to be used in that country.
I thought it would be a bit difficult to understand the difference between the two with a dictionary definition alone, so I looked at one more standard. How do you differentiate between the two in the curriculum?
Foreign languages and foreign words, in the curriculum?
Middle school textbook]
- Foreign language: A word that can be used in place of a native language.
- Foreign words: words that came from a foreign country but have no unique words to replace them, or are now widely used and used like Korean
To sort it out, you can think of whether or not there is an alternative vocabulary as a criterion for distinguishing foreign words from foreign words. Therefore, I learned the difference between foreign languages and foreign words firsthand through the National Institute of Korean Language, which sets the standard for Korean language.
The following is a synthesis of answers to the National Institute of Korean Language Online Kanada's criteria for distinguishing foreign words from foreign words
The criteria for distinguishing foreign words from foreign words are currently unclear. Since their categories and criteria for distinguishing them are not clearly defined, there are differences in opinions from person to person. Generally, if a word can be expressed by replacing it with a unique word or Chinese character, it is judged as a foreign language, and if there is no word that can be replaced, it is judged as a foreign language. However, since this distinction is not clear, people may have different opinions in some cases.
It is said that what the National Institute of Korean Language mainly refers to as a way of distinguishing foreign words from foreign words is whether the vocabulary is listed in the “Standard Korean Dictionary.” Since vocabulary commonly used in Korean is listed in the Dictionary of Standard Languages, it is said that there is a strong tendency to separate them through this. Therefore, there is a tendency to judge vocabulary as a foreign word if it is up in the Standard Dictionary of Korean Language.
While finishing
When translating foreign words or foreign words, the most important thing is how the locals use these words. Just as in Korea, whether or not it is listed in the Dictionary of Standard Korean Languages is a standard for distinguishing whether it is a foreign language or a foreign language.
So today's question, are “chewing gum” or “boiler” foreign words? Is it a foreign word? If you have questions like this, I think it would be a good idea to search the Standard Korean Dictionary and check Letterworks to see how it is translated into a foreign language. I hope today's letter was helpful, and I'll be back with the next one.
Editor l Lee In Hye
inhye.lee@twigfarm.net
