The People’s Minor Learning Reader, or Gukmin Sohak Dokbon (國民小學讀本, 국민소학독본), published in 1895, the first book in Korea created for modern public education.
This is a series of posts on monomorphemic words, which are words composed of two characters wherein the word cannot be understood by reading at the characters separately.
Riming Monomorphemic Words
Riming monomorphemic words (雙韻 衍聲複詞, 쌍운 연성복사) are words that have the same rime, but different consonants. In many of these words, the characters have the same radical, Busu (部首, 부수). All of the following words in the examples below still appear in modern Korean, albeit some not often in colloquial settings.
關關雎鳩, 在河之洲. / 窈窕淑女, 君子好逑.
관관저구, 재하지주. / 요조숙녀, 군자호구.
Quack quack go the ospreys, upon the bank of the stream. / Graceful and elegant is the young lady; for her lord, a good pair.
► Classic of Poetry (詩經, 시경), Odes of Zhou and the South (周南, 주남), the Quacking Osprey (關雎, 관저)
孔子蚤晨作, 負手曳杖, 逍遙於門而歌曰: “泰山其頹乎! 梁木其壞乎! 哲人其萎乎!”
공자조신작, 부수예장, 소요어문이가왈: “태산기퇴호! 량목기회호! 철인기위호!”
Confucius (孔子, 공자, Gongja) early in the morning woke up, taking his hand and dragging his cane, strolled around the door, and singing said, “O, Mount Tai (泰山, 태산, Taesan) will crumble! O, the crossbeam wood will collapse! O, the philosopher will wither!”
► A Collection of Sayings by Confucius (孔子家語, 공자가언)
誠者不勉而中, 不思而得, 從容中道, 聖人也.
성자불면이중, 불사이득, 종용중도, 성인야.
He who possesses sincerity, since without effort he does what is right and is calm and composed in the Way, is a sage.
► Doctrine of the Mean (中庸, 중용)
送宋希立于右水使處. 傳之悔意, 則答以慇懃焉.
송송희립우우수사처. 전지회의. 즉답이은근언.
I sent Song Heuirip (宋希立, 송희립, 1553-1623) to the position of Right Waters Commander. I conveyed him my regretful intent; he then responded with courtesy.
► War Diary of Admiral Yi Sunshin (亂中日記, 난중일기), on the Third Day of the Third Month of the Byeongshin (丙申, 병신) Year.
雖語類偶引之, 定是荒唐之說, 不足辨也.
수어류우인지, 정시당황지설, 불족변야.
Even though a variety of words coincidentally reference it, truly these are preposterous statements, and cannot be put to discussion.
► A Discussion on Yi Jungho’s (李仲虎, 이중호, 1512-1554) Tombstone Engravings, Shown to Kim Ijung (金而精, 김이정) (論李仲虎碣文, 示金而精; 논이중호갈문, 시김이정), Written by Yi Hwang (李滉, 이황, 1501-1570).
古泰山郡, 有一居士. 其學則涉獵乎經史.
고태산군, 유일거사. 기학즉섭렵호경사.
In the old Mount Tae District (泰山郡, 태산군), there is one scholar (who did not take up a government post). His erudition is extensive, far and wide, in the classics and histories.
►The Records of Bul’uheon (不憂軒記, 불우헌기), Written by Jeung Geuk’in (丁克仁, 정극인,1401-1481).
余曰: “惟僧當有之. 蓋娑婆外有香積士. 飯籮邊多餓死人.”
여왈: “유승당유지. 개사바외유향적사. 반라변다아사인.”
I say, “Only monks indeed have it. Generally, outside the mundane world there are perfume collecting scholars. Next to the food winnowing basket, many people are starving to death.”
► A General Explanation of the Buddhist Scriptures (釋典總說, 석전총설) by Yi Gyugyeong (李圭景, 이규경, 1788-?)
從甲地周望日界, 只見月球, 朦朧視線, 切月弧旋.
종갑지주망일계, 지견월구, 몽롱시선, 절월호선.
From the first [pinpoint on] earth and gazing around at the boundary of the sun, I only see the moon. The indistinct and hazy line of sight cuts the arch of the moon’s roundness.
► Measuring the Heavens (天測, 천측) by Hong Daeyong (洪大容, 홍대용, 1731-1783).
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