12 A History of the Korean Language.pdf

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A History of the Korean Language

A History of the Korean Language is the first book on the subject ever

published in English. It traces the origin, formation, and various historical

stages through which the language has passed, from Old Korean through to

the present day. Each chapter begins with an account of the historical and

cultural background. A comprehensive list of the literature of each period is

then provided and the textual record described, along with the script or

scripts used to write it. Finally, each stage of the language is analyzed,

offering new details supplementing what is known about its phonology,

morphology, syntax, and lexicon. The extraordinary alphabetic materials

of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries are given special attention, and are

used to shed light on earlier, pre-alphabetic periods.

ki-moon lee

is Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University.

s. robert ramsey is Professor and Chair in the Department of East Asian

Languages and Cultures at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Frontispiece: Korea’s seminal alphabetic work, the Hunmin ch ˘ ng ˘ m

“The Correct Sounds for the Instruction of the People” of 1446

A History of the Korean Language

Ki-Moon Lee

S. Robert Ramsey