Feature The art of Konglish The art of Konglish Niamh Mulholland, winner of our young writers’ competition, explains why Konglish – a fusion of English and Korean – is more than the sum of its parts.
oanwords in languages are by no means a recent phenomenon. The English language was in fact one of the biggest culprits for such lexical adaptations, with many words being ‘borrowed’ from French, Spanish, LItalian and German (see Philip Durkin’s account of English borrowing on pages 10–13 of this issue!). Whilst English continues to borrow words from other languages, the tables have turned, as it seems King Sejon, creator of the Korean alphabet English has become the ‘lender’ of words especially in Asia. The rapid development of technology has accurately into hangeul (한글) and as this became meant related vocabulary is adopted internationally a common practice the loanwords became more due to the strong recognition of certain concepts than loanwords and the words found themselves in the origin country, in this case the US or the integrated into the Korean lexicon with a meaning UK. The Korean language is the ideal host for often completely different to that of the word these words given the flexibility of the Korean from which it originated. One example of this is alphabet, hangeul (한글) – an alphabet dating the Korean word ‘shapeu’ (샤프/sa-ya-p-eu) which back to the Joseon Dynasty, 1443. It was created reads eerily similar to the English word ‘sharp’ by King Sejon with the purpose of educating the whilst in fact ‘shapeu’ (샤프) refers specifically to a common people as many were illiterate due to mechanical pencil. the reliance on the complicated Chinese script It is important to note the fine line between the which did not sufficiently express the meanings idea of broken English, which over a period of time of words and concepts in the Korean language. morphs into a sub language or a pidgin language, Thus was born a very simple, yet beautiful and this concept of ‘Konglish’ words. Such is one of phonetic alphabet consisting of 24 consonant the controversies surrounding the integration of and vowels. It is due to the phonological nature these words into the Korean language. Language of this alphabet that English can be transliterated has never been static and the continuous flux
36 Babel The Language Magazine | August 2014 Feature The art of Konglish and variation of stylistics and has contributed to the divide vernacular in language becomes between both the North and increasingly obvious in the South. There are two systems age of social media. Not only for romanising hangeul (한글), in relation to these changes originally both the North in Korean, but in English also, and South used the McCune- there exists the opinion that the Reischauer romanisation system abbreviation or replacement (MCRR) which was created in for the simplification of words 1937 yet today South Korea use or phrases is a detriment the Revised Romanisation (RR) to the language as a whole. system. The use of the former Undoubtedly social media system places a great emphasis has accelerated the otherwise on the pronunciation of Korean natural flux of language with words whilst the latter was put sites such as twitter prompting in place due to the ease in which users to share their thoughts in it can be typed. North Korea South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and 140 characters or less. It can be are adamant in not adopting and fascination of western pop footballer Ji So Yun argued that what this brings to words that are not purely Korean culture in Korea seem to aid taking a ‘selfie’ the language of this generation into their vernacular which of learning English as a foreign and future generations is a courses poses a major problem language and in a sense places conciseness, an admonishment in the communication between an emphasis on the perceived to the rhetoric that so often the countries. South Korea has importance of learning English. clouds the essential message. The a wealth of adopted vocabulary For those learning from English creation of words such as ‘selfie’ that continues to expand and to Korean, Konglish can be – the Korean equivalent of which with this expansion comes the helpful in that it provides the is ‘selca’ (셀가) an abbreviation shifting of meaning of native learner with familiar words with of ‘self-camera’ – provide us with words so whilst a Korean word only slight variations amidst the a way of expressing very specific may mean one thing in the Seoul disparity in grammar between ideas, something which will aid dialect it may hold a different the two languages. us in a society that is becoming nuance in the munhwao dialect. Konglish, rather than increasingly fast paced. A commonly used example to catalysing the decline of rich However, in the case of demonstrate the difference culture and tradition, adds Korean this detriment refers is the feelings expressed by something new to the Korean more to a loss of culture and the word ‘ilupsopneda’ (일 culture. The evolution of the tradition, the ‘westernisation’ of 없습니다) which to those in Konglish in the Korean language the language. For many objects North Korea translates roughly speaks volumes to the rapid and or concepts in Korean there to ‘I’m fine, thanks’ in response continuing modernisation of the exists more than one word; to ‘How are you?’ however in country. Konglish is Korean- the original Korean word, an South Korea ‘ilupsopneda’ (일 Western fusion at its best, it is abbreviation or amalgamation of 없습니다) means ‘mind your the smell galbi (갈비) and Korean words or the Konglish, own business’. Clearly the change chicken on the streets of the latter it seems is more in nuance over time can lead to cosmopolitan Seoul, it is visiting commonly used in Seoul, the misunderstandings. Gyeongbokgung palace (경복궁) capital of South Korea. The Seoul Aside from the political and and then Shinsegae (신세계) dialect is used outside of Seoul cultural implications in this Department Store. The linguistic and is the most commonly used evolution of language one might flux is a fine blend between the dialect in South Korea. There consider the effects this will have traditional and the contemporary. exists a significant difference on native Korean speakers and It is an art. ¶ in the Seoul dialect and the those learning Korean. In both dialect commonly used in North respects there is often some Find out more Korea, the munhwao dialect. confusion as to which words The use of Konglish words is are Korean words and which are Books not only thought by some to merely bad use of English. Apart The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English by Mark Abley (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, be detrimental to the Korean from this Konglish words along 2008). tradition and culture but it with the increasing popularity
Babel The Language Magazine | August 2014 37 Feature Competition winner interview Writing competition winner
The winner of our writing competition for 16-18 year olds is Niamh Mulholland, aged 17, from the border of the Republic and Northern Ireland. Her article on the rising hybrid of South Korean and English, Konglish, astounded us for her depth of linguistic understanding, originality of content and vivacious writing style. Babel’s Assistant Editor, Jane Lugea, interviews the winning author, whose article is published in this issue of Babel.
What school do you go to and as it’s a way for me to combine No, it is named after the biblical what do you study? mathematics and language. story of the tower of Babel! I attend Thornhill College in In summary, humans built a Derry, Northern Ireland and am I believe you came top ten in the All tower of Babel to get closer to currently doing my A-Levels. I’m Ireland Linguistics Olympiad. How the heavens and God punished studying Maths, Physics, Further did you enjoy the ALLO? them by toppling the tower and Maths, Spanish and English I really enjoy the Olympiad giving people different languages
Interview Literature. This year I had the problems! They can be really to confound communication. I opportunity to take enrichment difficult but they’re also fun. It’s understand you are doing your bit classes in Chinese as well as really cool to be able to translate to improve your communication, computer programming classes. sentences in a language you have though? never even heard of before, with What else do you get involved in at only a few clues. It definitely Yes, as well as studying Spanish school? gave me a better understanding in school, in my spare time I I’m on the school public speaking of the practical applications of study Korean, Japanese and and debating team. My friends linguistics, as it’s an area that is Latin. I watch foreign films and I really love engineering and not often touched on in school. online, which I occasionally building things, I’ve done quite a I really hope to participate in the write subtitles for. My favourite few science projects over the last Olympiad again next year. movie is Makoto Shinkai’s Five few years, including building a Centimetres Per Second. real time motion sensor device What do you like to do in your and plant sensor for monitoring spare time? Thank you so much for choosing water levels in plants. At the I am a voracious green tea my article. I’m so excited to have minute my friends and I are drinker and I love reading. My it published! ¶ working on building our own 3D favourite author is Douglas printer. Adams. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is my favourite What would you like to do after book series. Adams has such a school? quirky writing style that just fits I really love mathematics and so well with the bizarreness of hope to study it at university the storyline. Speaking of which, alongside a language. I’d is Babel called Babel after the love to pick up German or a babel fish in the Hitchhiker’s Scandinavian language. I am Guide to the Galaxy? also very interested in linguistics
38 Babel The Language Magazine | August 2014