Diagrams on the Conduct of the Three Bonds, or Samgang Haengshildo (三綱行實圖, 삼감행실도), was published in Classical Chinese in 1431 at the behest of King Sejong (世宗, 세종, 1397-1450) to educate commoners on Confucian tenets. Not surprisingly, it was one of the first Confucian books to be translated into the Korean vernacular using Hangul.
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.
Reduplicated Monomorphemic Words
Reduplicated monomorphemic words (雙語 衍聲複詞, 쌍어 연성복사) are words with two repeated characters. These words are typically adjectives and verbs, and rarely nouns in Classical Chinese. These type of words fall into two categories: (1) onomatopoeias (擬聲語, 의성어) and mimetic words (擬泰語, 의태어); and (2) words of emphasis (强調語, 강조어). These words are frequently used in the Classic of Poetry (詩經, 시경).
Onomatopoeias and Mimetic Words
In this case, the characters cannot be used to mean the onomatopoeias or mimetic words without being reduplicated. For example, in the line, 關關雎鳩(관관저구), 關關 is an onomatopoeia, referring to the sounds of an osprey, but 關 by itself cannot cannot refer to the onomatopoeia.
桃之夭夭 有蕡其實
도지요요유분기실
The peach tree is young and fresh; abundant are its fruits.
► Classic of Poetry (詩經, 시경), Lessons of the States (國風, 국풍), Odes of the Zhou and the South (周南 주남), Peach Trees (桃夭, 도요).
河水洋洋北流活活
하수양양북류활활
The waters of the [Yellow] River were wide and deep; northerly it flows, gushing and gurgling.
► Classic of Poetry (詩經, 시경), Lessons of the States (國風, 국풍), Odes of the Wei (衛風, 위풍), The Great Man (碩人, 석인).
喔喔雞聲簷上下 / 翩翩鶴舞院東西
악악계성첨상하 / 편편학무원동서
Cock a doodle do, the cock crows above and below the eaves / Fluttering and flapping, the crane dances east and west of the wall.
► Waking Up in the Morning, With One Arrow of the Canister to the Limit (曉起以漏一箭爲限, 효기이루일전위한), by King Jeongjo (正祖, 정조, 1752-1800, r. 1776-1800).
Words of Emphasis
In words of emphasis, the characters can be understood separately, but having a less degree than the reduplicated word. For instance, the word 深深(심심) can be interpreted as “very deep” or “very profound,” and the character 深 by itself can mean “deep” or “profound” by itself.
采采芣苢 薄言采之
채채부이 박언채지
Gathering and plucking the plantains, now we have gathered them.
► Classic of Poetry (詩經, 시경), Lessons of the States (國風, 국풍), Odes of the Zhou and the South (周南 주남), Plantains (芣苢, 부이).
天聽寂無音蒼蒼何處尋
천청적무음 창창하처심
Listening to heaven is silent and [to hear] no sound. The blue and azure sky, where do I find?
► The Precious Mirror Illuminating the Heart, or Myeongshimbogam (明心寶鑑, 명심보감).
靑靑河畔草 / 鬱鬱園中柳
청청하반초 / 울울원중류
Green and teal are the riverbank’s grass / Dense and thick are the garden’s willows.
►Collection of Literature Arranged by Categories (藝文類聚, 예문유취), Author Unknown.
Nota Bene: These reduplicated monomorphemic words should be distinguished from nouns words that are repeated. For instance, the word 家家(가가, Gaga), meaning “house-to-house,” although a reduplicated word (疊語, 첩어), is not considered a monomorphemic word, because each character can be understood separately and there is no emphasis.
