HANGEUL Meaning and
Definition
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Hangeul, also known as the Korean alphabet, is a system of phonetic writing used to represent the spoken language of the Korean people. Developed in the 15th century during the reign of King Sejong, hangeul consists of a set of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, along with additional compound characters and diacritical marks that modify the sound of the original characters. The script is written horizontally from left to right in syllabic blocks, with each block representing a single syllable.
Hangeul is notable for its scientific and logical design, as it was created with the intention to be simple, easy to learn, and accessible to all Korean people regardless of their social status or education level. Each character is crafted to reflect the shape made by the speech organs when pronouncing the corresponding sound. The basic consonants are derived from the physical shape of the mouth, such as the position and movement of the tongue, lips, and teeth, while the basic vowels are based on principles of yin and yang and the five elements of East Asian cosmology.
With the introduction of hangeul, the literacy rate in Korea rose significantly as it became more widespread and accessible, replacing the use of Chinese characters that were difficult for common people to learn. Nowadays, hangeul remains the primary writing system in both North and South Korea, and it is considered one of the most efficient and intuitive alphabets in the world.
Etymology of HANGEUL
The word "Hangeul" refers to the Korean alphabet system, and its etymology can be traced back to the Korean language itself. The term is a combination of two Korean words: "Han" (한), which means "Korea" or "Korean", and "Geul" (글), meaning "script" or "writing". Thus, "Hangeul" can be interpreted as "Korean script" or "Korean writing". The name was coined by King Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th century, when Hangeul was created.
