Wiktionary

길

길 U+AE38, 길
HANGUL SYLLABLE GIL
Composition:ㄱ + ㅣ + ㄹ
← 긷
[U+AE37] 		Hangul Syllables 긹 →
[U+AE39]
기긱긲긳긴긵긶
긷길긹긺긻긼긽
긾긿김깁깂깃깄
깅깆깇깈깉깊깋
긔 ←→ 까

Korean

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Etymology 1

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From Early Modern Korean 긿 (kilh), from Middle Korean 긿〮 (kílh), probably ultimately from Old Korean 道尸 (*KIl). The Middle Korean /-h/ may be the remnant of an ancient place-related suffix; see Appendix:Middle Korean h-final nouns.

In the hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 긿〮 (Yale: kílh).

Pronunciation

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  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [kiɭ]
    • Audio:(file)
  • Phonetic hangul: [길]
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kil
  • South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 길의 / 길에 / 길까지

    Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch and also heightens the next suffixed syllable, unless it is 에.

Noun

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숲속의 길 (supsog-ui gil, “a road through the forest”).

길 • (gil)

  1. (also figuratively) a road, a path, a street, a track; passage, thoroughfare
    아직도 갈 길이 멀고 험하다.
    Ajik-do gal gir-i meolgo heom-hada.
    There's still a long and treacherous road ahead.
    그는 독신의 길을 택하였다.
    Geu-neun doksin-ui gir-eul taek-hayeotda.
    He chose the path of celibacy.
  2. a way, (on) the way; a route/course (e.g. an airway or sea route)
    그는 길을 잃고 숲속을 헤맸다.
    Geu-neun gir-eul ilko supsog-eul hemaetda.
    He got lost and wandered about the woods.
    (literally, “He lost his way and wandered about the woods.”)
    돌아오는 길에 잠깐 들렀어. (casual)
    Doraoneun gir-e jamkkan deulleosseo.
    [I] stopped by on the way back.
  3. (figuratively) the road (to)..., the path (to)...
    민주화의 길은 험하디 험했다.
    Minjuhwa-ui gir-eun heom-ha-di heom-haetda.
    The road to democracy was not easy.
    그는 변호사의 길을 걷고 있다.
    Geu-neun byeonhosa-ui gir-eul geotgo itda.
    He is on the path to become a lawyer.
  4. (figuratively) a way, a means, a method
    Synonym: 방도(方道) (bangdo)
    그것이 성공의 유일한 길이다.
    Geugeos-i seonggong-ui yuil-han girida.
    That's the only way to success.
    너의 마음을 알 길이 없구나.
    Neo-ui ma'eum-eul al gir-i eopguna.
    I have no way of reading your mind.
Alternative forms
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Derived terms
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Derived terms
See also
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  • 道 (do), 路 (ro), hanjas for "road; path"

Etymology 2

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First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 질〮 (Yale: cíl).

Was subject to hypercorrection by Seoul speakers to avoid the /ki/ > /t͡ɕi/ palatalization in southern dialects, producing Early Modern Korean 길 (kil); 김치 (gimchi) and 기와 (giwa) are two other well-known examples of this phenomenon. Non-standard dialects commonly preserve the original form.

Pronunciation

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Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kil

Noun

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길 • (gil)

  1. (of animals) training; domestication
    그 개는 길이 잘 들어서 말을 잘 듣는다.
    Geu gae-neun gir-i jal deureoseo mar-eul jal deunneunda.
    The dog is obedient because it was well-trained.
    (literally, “The dog is obedient because training has well entered it.”)
  2. (of tools, etc.) breaking in; wear
    갓 산 새 신발이라 아직 길이 안 들었다.
    Gat san sae sinbar-ira ajik gir-i an deureotda.
    Having just bought these shoes, they haven't been broken in yet.
    (literally, “Having just bought these shoes, breaking in hasn't entered them yet.”)
  3. (less common) familiarity; skill
Usage notes
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  • Used chiefly with the verbs 들다 (deulda, “to enter”, intransitive) and 들이다 (deurida, “to let in”, transitive), and sometimes with the verb 나다 (nada, “to arise”, intransitive).
Alternative forms
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Derived terms
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Derived terms

Etymology 3

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First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 길〯 (Yale: kǐl), related to 길〯다〮 (Yale: kǐl-tá, “to be long”).[1]

Pronunciation

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  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ki(ː)ɭ]
  • Phonetic hangul: [길(ː)]
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kīl

Noun

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 길 (단위) on Korean Wikipedia

길 • (gil)

  1. a gil, a traditional Korean unit of measurement
    1. the gil, a traditional Korean unit of length equal to 8 or 10 Korean foot (자 (ja)), equivalent to approximately 2.4 m and 3 m respectively
    2. the gil, a traditional Korean unit of length equal to the height of a person; a fathom
Derived terms
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Derived terms

Etymology 4

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Of native Korean origin.

Pronunciation

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  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ki(ː)ɭ]
  • Phonetic hangul: [길(ː)]
    • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?gil
McCune–Reischauer?kil
Yale Romanization?kīl

Noun

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저고리의 길 (jeogori-ui gil, “the gil labelled in a diagram of a jeogori”).

길 • (gil)

  1. (clothing) the gil, the large body section of the upper garment in traditional clothing such as the 저고리 (jeogori) or 두루마기 (durumagi)

Etymology 5

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Sino-Korean word from 吉.

Pronunciation

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Romanizations
Revised Romanization?Gil
Revised Romanization (translit.)?Gil
McCune–Reischauer?Kil
Yale Romanization?kil

Proper noun

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길 • (Gil) (hanja 吉)

  1. a surname

Root

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길 • (gil) (hanja 吉)

  1. Root of 길(吉)하다 (gilhada, “to be auspicious”). Rarely used alone.

Derived terms

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Etymology 6

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See the main entries.

Adjective

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길 • (gil)

  1. irrealis adnominal of 길다 (gilda, “to be long”)

Verb

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길 • (gil)

  1. future determiner of 길다 (gilda, “(of hair) to grow long”)

Verb

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길 • (gil)

  1. future determiner of 기다 (gida, “to crawl”)

Etymology 7

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Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

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길 (gil)

More information
  1. 吉: luck
    (eumhun reading: [길할]] 길 ([gilhal]] gil))
    (MC reading: 吉 (MC kjit))
  2. 佶:
    (MC reading: 佶 (MC git))
  3. 桔:
    (MC reading: 桔 (MC ket))
  4. 姞:
    (MC reading: 姞 (MC git))
  5. 拮:
    (MC reading: 拮 (MC kjit|ket))
  6. 蛣:
    (MC reading: 蛣 (MC khjit))

References

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  1. ^ Samuel E. Martin (1992) A Reference Grammar of Korean: A Complete Guide to the Grammar and History of the Korean Language, first edition, Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc., →ISBN, page 87

Middle Korean

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Etymology 1

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Pronunciation

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Counter

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길〯 (kǐl)

  1. a gil, a traditional Korean unit of length equal to the height of a person; a fathom
Descendants
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  • Korean: 길 (gil)

Etymology 2

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Noun

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길〮 (kíl)

  1. Isolated form spelling of 긿〮 (kílh, “road”)
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