 | |
 |
Volume 53, February 2007 |
|
Featured Language: Korean Korean At-a-Glance Korean is spoken by about 70 million people. Although most speakers of Korean live on the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, more than 5 million are scattered throughout the world. Koreans speak their own language, Hangeul, developed by King Sejong of the Joseon Kingdom in 1443. Previously, Chinese characters and dialects were used by the elite, but Hangeul allowed the general population to learn a language and alphabet particular to their nation, distinct from their neighbors in Japan and China. There are 17 lettered consonants and 11 lettered vowels in alternate combination with vowel gradations to signify plurals and tenses. Korean language has incorporated loan-words from Chinese, Japanese, and Western languages related to cultural, political, and modern technological influences. Modern Korean is divided into six dialects: Central, Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Cheju. Except for the Cheju dialect, these are similar enough for speakers of the various dialects to communicate. Sources: AsianInfo Indopedia |
|||
| < Back to Volume 53, February 2007 |
About Us | Contact Us | Privacy | Legal
