A Manual on the Four Rites (四禮便覽, 사례편람, Saryepyeonram), written by Yi Jae (李縡, 이재, 1680-1746).
This is a series of posts on monomorphemic words, which are words composed of two characters wherein the word cannot be understood by reading the characters separately.
Postfixed Monomorphemic Words
Postfixed monomorphemic words (接尾詞 衍聲複詞, 접미사 연성복사) are words wherein first one or two characters “carry” the meaning of the word and the last character adds no extra meaning, merely demarcating the end of that word. For example, take the word 當然(당연), which is often used colloquially in Korean to mean “of course!” but literally means “rightfully.” The meaning “rightfully” can be gathered from the first character, 當(당), by itself. The second character, 然(연), does not add to the meaning, and cannot itself mean “rightfully.”
There are four postfix characters of note: 然(연), 爾(이), 如(여), and 子(자). Note that these characters have other meanings in other contexts, some of which will be covered later on in detail.
~然(연), ~爾(이), ~如(여) Postfixed Words
These three characters are the most common postfix characters in Classical Chinese. Out of these three, 然(연) is the most common. The postfix 如(여) is often used after a reduplicated word. These postfix characters are used in verbs, adverbs, and adjectives.
王勃然變乎色. 曰: “王勿異也. 王問臣, 臣不敢不以正對.”
왕발연변호색. 왈: “왕물이야. 왕문신, 신불감불이정대.”
The King was outraged, changing in complexion. Mencius said, “King, do not think strangely of it. [You], the King, have asked [me], your servant. As a servant, [I] dare not respond but with what is right.”
► Mencius (孟子, 맹자, Maengja), Wan Zhang II Chapter (萬章下, 만장하).
馬背乘昏强覓詩 / 偶然逢友郭西陂
마배승혼강멱시 / 우연봉우과서피
On top of a horse and riding in the dark, I forcibly try to compose a poem / Fortuitously, I meet a friend on a hill west of the castle wall.
► Riding in the Snow to Find the Very Middle (乘雪訪正中, 승설방정중) by Nam Hyo’on (南孝溫, 남효온, 1454-1492)
忽然剝啄聲 / 挹翠詩見尋
홀연박탁성 / 읍취시견심
All of the sudden, a door knocking noise. / He came to look for Eupchwiheon’s (挹翠軒, 읍취헌) poem.
► Quickly Composed. Harmonized with Eupchiwiheon’s Poem and Shown to Ten Others (走筆, 和翠軒和示之什 주필 화취헌화시지십) by Yi Haeng (李荇, 이행, 1478-1534)
子之武城, 聞弦歌之聲. 夫子莞爾而笑, 曰: “割雞焉用牛刀?”
자지무성, 문현가지성. 부자완이이소, 왈: “할계언용우도?”
The Master came to Wu Cheng (武城, 무성, Museong) and heard the sounds of stringed instruments and singing. The Master radiantly smiling and laughing said, “To cut a chicken, why use an ox knife?”
► Analects of Confucius (論語, 논어), Yang Huo Chapter (陽貨, 양화, Yang Hwa).
閔子侍側, 誾誾如也. 子路,行行如也. 冉有, 子貢. 侃侃如也.
민자대측, 은은여야. 자로, 행행여야. 염유, 자공. 간간여야.
Discipline Min (閔子, 민자, Minja) was waiting by his side, respectfully and courteously. Zi Lu (子路, 자로, Ja Ro) was [looking] valorously and gallantly. Ran You (冉有, 염유, Yeom Yu) and Zi Gong (子貢, 자공, Ja Gong) was [looking] straight and upright.
► Analects of Confucius (論語, 논어), Xian Jin Chapter (先進, 선진, Seonjin)
~子(자) Postfixed Words
The character 子(자) was not used as a postfix character until later Classical Chinese texts. It is used to demarcate certain nouns. There are a number of these words in used in modern Korean.
古人坐必椅子. 椅子之坐, 卽倨坐也. 以是爲正, 何也?
고인좌필의자. 의자지좌, 즉거좌야. 이시위정, 하야?
People long ago must have sat in chairs. [Yet today], to sit on a chair is [considered] to sit arrogantly. Why do [we] consider this as correct?
► Inquiries Presented to Master Toegye (上退溪先生問目, 상퇴계선생문목) by Kim Buryun (金富倫, 김부륜, 1531-1598).
若在他所, 則置于西階上卓子上. 然後啓櫝.
약재타소, 즉치우서계상탁자상. 연후계독.
If there is another spot, place [the ancestral tablets] on the table west of the steps. Afterward, open the [ancestral tablet] chest.
► The Household Rites by Master Zhu (朱子家禮, 주자가례).
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