# 섬

| 섬 | U+C12C, &#49452; HANGUL SYLLABLE SEOM |
| Composition: | ㅅ + ㅓ + ㅁ |
| ← 섫 [U+C12B] | Hangul Syllables | 섭 → [U+C12D] |
서석섞섟선섡섢 섣설섥섦섧섨섩 섪섫섬섭섮섯섰 성섲섳섴섵섶섷 :
| 섀 ← | → 세 |

## Jeju
### Etymology

Cognate with Korean 섬 (seom).

### Pronunciation

* (Morphophonemic) IPA: ⫽səm⫽
* (Jeju City) IPA: [sʰəm]
* Phonetic hangul: [섬]

### Noun

섬 (seom)
* island

### References

* “섬” in Andrew Cheng; K. David Harrison, Jeju-eo Talking Dictionary, Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, 2014.

## Korean
### Etymology 1

First attested in the Hunminjeong'eum haerye (訓民正音解例 / 훈민정음해례), 1446, as Middle Korean 셤〯 (Yale: syěm).
Possibly related to Baekje 斯麻 (*syema, “island”) and Japanese 島 (shima, “island”).

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [sʰɘ(ː)m]
* Phonetic hangul: [섬(ː)]
** Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
* South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 섬의 / 섬에 / 섬까지Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

#### Noun

섬 • (seom)
* island, islet or insular

##### Derived terms

* 돌섬 (dolseom)
* 모래섬 (moraeseom)
* 바위섬 (bawiseom)
* 섬나라 (seomnara)
* 섬마을 (seomma'eul)
* 섬참새 (seomchamsae)
* 섬촉새 (seomchoksae)

### Etymology 2

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 셤〮 (Yale: syém).

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [sʰʌ̹m]
* Phonetic hangul: [섬]

#### Noun

섬 • (seom)
* straw bag / sack (used to hold grain)

##### Derived terms

* 겻섬 (gyeotseom)
* 볏섬 (byeotseom)
* 섬거적 (seomgeojeok)
* 섬밥 (seombap)
* 섬벼 (seombyeo)
* 섬통 (seomtong)
* 숯섬 (sutseom)
* 쌀섬 (ssalseom)

#### Counter

섬 • (seom)
* a seom, a traditional Korean unit of volume equal to approximately 180 litres; mostly used when measuring grain such as rice
    Synonym: 석(石) (seok)

### Etymology 3

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 섬〮 (Yale: sém).

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [sʰʌ̹m]
* Phonetic hangul: [섬]

#### Noun

섬 • (seom)
* (uncommon in isolation) stone stairsteps (in traditional houses)

##### Derived terms

* 섬돌 (seomdol)

### Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 銛.

#### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [sʰʌ̹m]
* Phonetic hangul: [섬]

#### Noun

섬 • (seom) (hanja 銛)
* (rare) Synonym of 작살 (jaksal, “(fishing) harpoon”)

##### Derived terms

* See the hanja entry at 銛 for Sino-Korean compounds of 섬 (銛, seom).

### Etymology 5

See the main entry.

#### Verb

섬 • (seom)
* verbal noun of 서다 (seoda, “to stand”)

### Etymology 6

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

#### Syllable

섬 • (seom)
* 纖:
    (MC reading: 纖 (MC sjem))
* 殲: annihilation
    (eumhun reading: 다죽일 섬 (dajugil seom)) (MC reading: 殲 (MC tsjem))
* 閃: flash
    (eumhun reading: 번쩍일 섬 (beonjjeogil seom)) (MC reading: 閃 (MC syemX|syemH))
* 蟾:
    (MC reading: 蟾 (MC tsyem|dzyem))
* 暹:
    (MC reading: 暹 (MC sjem))
* 贍:
    (MC reading: 贍 (MC dzyemH))
* 剡:
    (MC reading: 剡 (MC yemX|dzyemX))
* 陝:
    (MC reading: 陝 (MC syemX))
* 孅:
    (MC reading: 孅 (MC sjem))
* 憸:
    (MC reading: 憸 (MC sjem|tshjem|xjemX|tshjemX))
* 摻:
    (MC reading: 摻 (MC sream|sreamX))
* 睒:
    (MC reading: 睒 (MC syemX|thamH))
* 譫:
    (MC reading: 譫 (MC dap|tsyap))
* 銛:
    (MC reading: 銛 (MC sjem|themX|kwat))
* 韱:
    (MC reading: 韱 (MC sjem))

### References

* ↑ Vovin, Alexander (2013) “From Koguryo to T'amna”, in Korean Linguistics‎, volume 15, number 2 (PDF), John Benjamins Publishing Company, →DOI, pages 222-240.

## Middle Korean
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /sə́m/

### Noun

섬〮 (sém)
* stairstep
** 1459, 月印釋譜 / 월인석보 [Worin Seokbo], page 2:27a:階(갱)砌(촁〮)ᄂᆞᆫ〮 서〮미라〮KÀY.CHYÉY-nón sém-ìlá[The Chinese word] 階砌 means, "step."

#### Descendants

* Korean: 섬 (seom)