New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-21
COREAN LITERATURE.
NATIVE GENIUS AWAKENED BY THE Lf-
FORTS OF AN ENGLISH LEXICOGRAPHER


FORTS OF AN ENGLISH LEXlCOGRAPiiER
Having In measure though partly by force, been
opened to Intercourse with the rest OF the woro' inc
Hermit Nation OF Corea has now begun to make re"i
progress In the arts OF modern civilization. In no
respect perhaps, is this progress more Significant Una"
In the direction Of the development OF National her
tuie. And I'm this well as In respect 10 o'nr
features Of development, Corea Is indebted 10
foreigners Until within the last half dozen years
COrca had no tangible literature. lhere were
legends and ballads and a certain amount OF learn
Ing but all derived from Chinese sources. ANA IL
was all oral. Printing was unknown ana wriuhs
practised but little. 1t remained for foreigner, Il
member OF the English Consular Service" to make t'c
first Corean grammar and dictionary ana Tor the hrst
time to deal practically with the Corcan language.
Years ago. 1t is true, the French missionaries
learned the language sufficiently to use II In preach
Ing and they also compiled sort OF French-Corean
grammar But this book was OF no practical value
10 any but themselves. A dozen years ago or more,
also some Of these missionaries went back from
Corea to JAPAN and there. with the aid of japanese
workmen, made font Of Corcan type, the first ever
made. They first cut the type on wood and then
had 1t cast in metal. But they did not dare to use
II in COrea fearing that II might cause trouble With
the Government.
some years ago. however, when Sir Henry ParKcs
British Minister to China. he sent Mr. James scott
TO Corea u study the language and qualify himself
to act Interpreter. Mr.. scott had already spent
many years IN China, and knew the language OF tiat
country. But lie found the language OF Corea en-
trely different and much more difficult. There being
In existence no textbooks for him TO study he began
compiling word books OF the language In manuscript
setting down all the Corean words and sentences
that he learned with their English equivalents lneh
he succeeded In compiling a paradiGm OF '"reah
verbs. and finally pretty complete Corean grammar
This was q most aborous undertaking, for there
in he
verbs present such mass of Irregularities. lhe'r
changes by infection and increment are almost III
Vulnerable. In Chinese word has fXcd lorm
which 1t never loses. but In Corean us l"fmS are
almost countless. Mr. Scott believes, however t'a'
the Coreans derived their first knowledge OF clVihZa
ton from China, and that the Corean language ap
proaches nearly to the original Chinese as first USED
In tho Province OF Shan Tung The cradle OF Chinese
civilization and literature. As 10 the age oil 'ie
Corean language, II must date back to at least 2ooo
g. c. In all the centuries since the policy OF iSoia
tion which the Coreans have maintained has Kept
their language in almost It's original FORM the ohE
changes In IL from the earliest times being In the
mass Of words which they have borrowed from 'le
Clanese-a result of their subsection to China.
The Corean language Is alphabetical, but is always
used in q syllable form. There are about l"'"Vo
distinct ideographs and perhaps 10000 characters vi
all binds. The letters, or logotypes, are qn''e ul'r
Ont In form from the Chinese. 1t Is also observed
Is an ~ in Corean. AT the present day chinese
the official language Of the Corean Government uS'u
tn communicating with all foreigners
Mr. Scott's Corcan grammar was pnt In type 10y
himself and was printed under great dihlcul'es. But
the entire edition quickly sold ont, ana 'he "orH
greatly aroused curiosity and interest in the gu"sc
~ tho Hermit Nation and encouraged its author 10
proceed TO the preparation Of Corean dnuoharE'
He began by providing himself with number OF
copies OF Professor Max Mu,ler's Outline Dchon-
arv, THIS book contains all the most common and
useful English words with blank spaces left IN when
to write the equivalents of the language one Is study
Ing Mr. Scott began filing one OF these ont. But
he vas continually discovering new meanings or ne"
shades of meaning to the same words, and 50 haa 10
co over the entire work four or five times lie was
also continually employing native teachers, new
ono about every three months AS as he learned
all that one teacher could tell him. he discharged him
and engaged another. Thus, In the course OF aoo''
five wears he set down the equivalents of some looo9
English words. The next thing was TO get The dic-
tionory prnted He had already purchased from the
French missionaries their font Of Coean type the ony
one in existence. and has used II in printing MS
grammar He now went to work on the dictionary.
setting the type himself with some lit'ie nat'V n,
assistance The printing was done Dy IN ah DIST VI
England Missions Press In Corea. And Tins thc nist
Corean dictionary given to IN, worio. III h3s,
Of course. greatly simplifed the task Of learning te
Foreigners a great impetus in that task II has also
nroused the interest and native pride o, tnc Srr i
Cuage with q zeal and purpose hitherto unknown. Al,
ready projects are under for the establishment Of
Coresn publishing houses that will issue books and
newspapers in the vernacular. There IS great mas
of choae Eorean literature in story, song ana lable
to be compiled and published ana 1t Is plon%" 'n
Mr. Scott. Indeed the Corcans seem to TAKE I s,
the idea Of CIVILIZATION and instead %av OF annr S
NAV presently embrace with rs much zeal ana encct
a. has been done by the japanese during the present