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Active: 9260 users

Basic Korean question (Names)

Blogs > HuskyTheHusky
Post a Reply
Husky
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States3362 Posts
July 04 2009 22:22 GMT
#1
I have been trying to notice basic patterns in the Korean language to try and understand the very very basics of what I see on the screen during live casts.

One thing I've noticed is that everyones name seems to be 3 symbols. Is this always the case? If so why?

Also, HAPPY 4TH!

Thanks

***
Commentaries: youtube.com/HuskyStarcraft
JWD
Profile Blog Joined October 2007
United States12607 Posts
July 04 2009 22:25 GMT
#2
Not always the case — for example, (P)Nal_rA is Kang Min.
✌
GhostKorean
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States2330 Posts
July 04 2009 22:34 GMT
#3
Usually your last name is one character followed by two characters for your first name. (In reverse order, last name then first)
For example: Lee Jaedong = 이 (Lee) 재 (Jae) 동 (Dong)
As JWD pointed out, some people can have more or less characters in their name, like Nal_rA.
GTR
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
51705 Posts
July 04 2009 22:36 GMT
#4
It's similar to how Chinese names have evolved over the past few years.

It was common in the early days to have just two symbols for your name, but now three is the standard with some rare exceptions.
Commentator
Solinren
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States2653 Posts
July 04 2009 22:53 GMT
#5
On July 05 2009 07:36 GTR wrote:
It's similar to how Chinese names have evolved over the past thousand of years.

It was common in the early days to have just two symbols for your name, but now three is the standard with some rare exceptions.

I have a 3 character name, first character is your surname. The other characters given to you will have a meaning behind it most of the time. So there really isnt a standard of having only 3 characters, because some have a surname of 2 characters as well. So they might end up with having 4 characters name.
Roffles *
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Pitcairn19291 Posts
July 04 2009 23:22 GMT
#6
On July 05 2009 07:53 Solinren wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 05 2009 07:36 GTR wrote:
It's similar to how Chinese names have evolved over the past thousand of years.

It was common in the early days to have just two symbols for your name, but now three is the standard with some rare exceptions.

I have a 3 character name, first character is your surname. The other characters given to you will have a meaning behind it most of the time. So there really isnt a standard of having only 3 characters, because some have a surname of 2 characters as well. So they might end up with having 4 characters name.


But very rarely do you see 4 characters in a name. 3 seems to be the standard norm these days, with 2 still somewhat around.
God Bless
illu
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2531 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-05 00:00:08
July 04 2009 23:56 GMT
#7
Google is the best.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_names


Basically, almost all of Korean family names have Chinese origin, and given names are given similarly to how Chinese parents would give their children names. Thus given names usually have 2 syllables, family names usually have 1 syllable, and that makes 3 in total.
:]
illu
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2531 Posts
July 05 2009 00:16 GMT
#8
My impression is that most Koreans now-a-days are illiterate in hanji and mixed scripts are now rare. So sooner or later Chinese-like given names will be abandoned.
:]
Wala.Revolution
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
7584 Posts
July 05 2009 00:49 GMT
#9
A a very few families in Korea have two-chracter surname, such as Nam-Goong (남궁) which often gives the members four-chracter names.
Stuck.
Wala.Revolution
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
7584 Posts
July 05 2009 00:51 GMT
#10
On July 05 2009 09:16 illu wrote:
My impression is that most Koreans now-a-days are illiterate in hanji and mixed scripts are now rare. So sooner or later Chinese-like given names will be abandoned.


I thought most people go to these "Do-SA" people (or some equivalent) to make names for them?
Stuck.
GTR
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
51705 Posts
July 05 2009 00:55 GMT
#11
On July 05 2009 09:49 Wala.Revolution wrote:
A a very few families in Korea have two-chracter surname, such as Nam-Goong (남궁) which often gives the members four-chracter names.


there was also a progamer with the surname Hwang-Bo (황보), 황보건우 ((Z)zergjoaa)
Commentator
illu
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2531 Posts
July 05 2009 00:57 GMT
#12
On July 05 2009 09:51 Wala.Revolution wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 05 2009 09:16 illu wrote:
My impression is that most Koreans now-a-days are illiterate in hanji and mixed scripts are now rare. So sooner or later Chinese-like given names will be abandoned.


I thought most people go to these "Do-SA" people (or some equivalent) to make names for them?


I think there is a standard booklet or something for this.
:]
Radical
Profile Blog Joined March 2007
United States481 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-07-05 03:32:19
July 05 2009 03:31 GMT
#13
I've always wondered about this: When you have a name like Ma Jae Yoon, for example, how would you address this person if you were speaking to him? Would you address him as "Jae Yoon"? I think in VODs I've heard the commentators saying the players' full names, like I was recently watching an old Reach VOD, and I kept hearing the commentators yelling "Park Jung Suk" throughout the match. This just seems a little strange to me though, since in the west we don't refer to each other by our full names (first + last), except for in sports commentating.
illu
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2531 Posts
July 05 2009 04:05 GMT
#14
I think it's like Ma Jaeyoon-sensou or something like that..... literally "Player Ma Jaeyoon".
:]
Husky
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States3362 Posts
July 05 2009 04:58 GMT
#15
Pretty interesting, thanks for the insight guys.

Also thanks for the wikipedia article, wasnt even something I'd think to check on there.
Commentaries: youtube.com/HuskyStarcraft
520
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States2822 Posts
July 05 2009 05:24 GMT
#16
It makes me wonder - when Chinese people read Korean names, they just use the Chinese reading of the Korean hanja. But when Koreans read Chinese names, they try to emulate the sounds as much as possible. Is there a reason for this?
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