Hunminjeongeum

Hunminjeongeum
() is a 15th century historical document that introduced a script that became the Hangul script for writing the Korean language. An original copy of the document is currently located at the Gansong Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea.
Hunminjeongeum was commissioned and supervised by Sejong the Great based on a writing system he invented in 1443. The original spelling of the title was Húnminjyéongeum (in North Korea, Húnminjyéonghʼeum). The script it introduced was actually originally named "Hunminjeongeum" after the document, but its name was later changed to its present form. It was intended to be a simpler alternative to the incumbent Chinese-based Hanja, in order to promote literacy among the general populace. It originally included 28 letters , but over time, four of those were abandoned, leading to the current 24 letters of Hangul.
The date of the document's publication is subject to some debate. The South Korean government considers October 9, 1446 to be the date; that day is now the holiday Hangul Day in South Korea. However, there is a record in the 102nd volume of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty that announces the publication of the text in the 25th year of Sejong's reign, which corresponds to 1443–1444.
On December 20, 1962, the document was designated a National Treasure in South Korea. In 1997, the document was registered by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Programme.
History
Before Hangul, the Korean alphabet, was created, Koreans used Chinese characters to record their words. Since Chinese language and Korean language share few similarities, borrowing Chinese characters proved to be inefficient to reflect the spoken language. In addition, at the time when King Sejong was inventing Hangul the Ming dynasty had just come to power in China, which changed the pronunciation of Chinese characters, making it harder for Koreans to learn the new standard pronunciation to record their words. The illiteracy level also stayed high since reading and learning Chinese characters was restricted among the ordinary people. They were generally used in official documents by the ruling class. The ruling class took advantage of this and learning the Chinese characters became a symbol of power and privilege. In order to make written language more accessible for common people, King Sejong started creating Hangul secretly, since the ruling class would be appalled by the news.
Hangul was personally created by Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty, and revealed by him in 1443. Although it is widely assumed that King Sejong ordered the Hall of Worthies to invent Hangul, contemporary records such as the Veritable Records of King Sejong and Jeong Inji's preface to the Hunminjeongeum Haerye emphasize that he invented it himself. This is stated in Book 113 of The Annals of King Sejong (Sejongsillok) on the 9th month and the 28th year of reign of King Sejong and at the end of An Illustrated Explanation of Hunminjeongeum. Afterward, King Sejong wrote the preface to the , explaining the origin and purpose of Hangul and providing brief examples and explanations, and then tasked the Hall of Worthies to write detailed examples and explanations. The head of the Hall of Worthies, Jeong In-ji, was responsible for compiling the . The was published and promulgated to the public in 1446. The writing system is referred to as "Hangul" today but was originally named as by King Sejong. "Hunmin" and "Jeongeum" are respective words that each indicate "to teach the people" and "proper sounds." Together means "correct sounds for the instruction of the people."
Content
The publication is written in Classical Chinese and contains a preface, the alphabet letters (jamo), and brief descriptions of their corresponding sounds. It is later supplemented by a longer document called Hunminjeongeum Haerye that is designated as a national treasure No. 70. To distinguish it from its supplement, is sometimes called the "Samples and Significance Edition of ".
The Classical Chinese of the has been partly translated into Middle Korean. This translation is found together with and is called the .
The first paragraph of the document reveals King Sejong's motivation for creating hangul:
Classical Chinese (Original):
Transcription:
1. Kwúyk ci ngě qum.
2. Í hhwo tyung kwúyk.
3. Yě mwun ccó pwúlq syang lyuw thwong.
4. Kwó ngwu min wǔw swǒ ywók ngen.
5. Zi cyung pwúlq túk sin kkuy ccyeng cyǎ ta ngǔy.
6. Ye wúy chǒ mǐn zyen.
7. Sin cyéy zí ssíp pálq ccó.
8. Ywók sǒ zin zin í ssíp ppyen qe zílq ywóng zǐ.
Mix of hanja (Chinese characters) and Hangul (Eonhaebon):
Transcription:
1. Kwúyk ci ngě qum í.
2. Í hhwo tyung kwúyk hó yá.
3. Yě mwun ccó lwó pwúlq syang lyuw thwong hol ssóy.
4. Kwó lwó ngwu min í wǔw swǒ ywók ngen hó ya dwó.
5. Zi cyung pwúlq túk sin kkuy ccyeng cyǎ y ta ngǔy lá.
6. Ye y wúy chǒ mǐn zyen hó yá.
7. Sin cyéy zí ssíp pálq ccó hó nwo ní.
8. Ywók sǒ zin zin ó lwó í ssíp hó yá ppyen qe zílq ywóng zǐ ni lá.
Rendered into written Korean (Eonhaebon):
Transcription:
1. Na lás mǎl sso mí.
2. Tyung kwúyk éy tal á.
3. Mwun ccáw wá lwó se lu so mos tí a ní hol ssóy.
4. Í len cyen chó lwó e lín póyk syéng í ni lu kwó cyé hwólq páy i syé twó.
5. Mo chóm nǎy cey ptú túl si lé phye tí mwǒt holq nwó mí ha ní lá.
6. Náy í lól wúy hó yá ě yes pí ne kyé.
7. Sáy lwó sú múl ye túlp ccó lól moyng kó nwo ní.
8. Sǎ lom mǎ tá hǒi GGyé sǔ Wí ni kyé nál lwó pswú méy ppyen qan khúy ho kwó cyé holq sto lo mí ni lá.
Translation:
Versions
The manuscript of the original has two versions:
Seven pages written in Classical Chinese, except where the Hangul letters are mentioned, as can be seen in the image at the top of this article. Three copies are left:
The one found at the beginning of the Haerye copy
The one included in Volume 113 of Sejongsillok.
The , 36 pages, extensively annotated in hangul, with all hanja transcribed with small hangul to their lower right. The Hangul were written in both ink-brush and geometric styles. Four copies are left:
At the beginning of , an annotated Buddhist scripture
One preserved by Park Seungbin
One preserved by Kanazawa, a Japanese person
One preserved by Japanese Imperial Household Agency
References
External links
Scanned copy of the Eonhae
UNESCO provides the photos of the book
1446 books
15th century in Korea
1446 in Asia
Hangul
Joseon dynasty works
National Treasures of South Korea
Manuscripts
Memory of the World Register