Jeju edit

Pronunciation edit

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?nabi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?nabi
Yale Romanization?napi

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle Korean 나ᄇᆡ〮 (nàpóy). Cognate to Korean 나비 (nabi).

Noun edit

나비 (nabi)

  1. butterfly

Etymology 2 edit

Noun edit

나비 (nabi)

  1. Alternative form of (nap, money)

Korean edit

Etymology 1 edit

First attested in the Neung'eomgyeong eonhae (楞嚴經諺解 / 능엄경언해), 1461, as Middle Korean 나ᄇᆡ〮 (Yale: nàpóy).

Also attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 나뵈〮 (Yale: nàpwóy).

Perhaps etymologically 나봇 (nabot, ideophonic root for fluttering) +‎ (-i, noun-deriving suffix), literally "flutterer". Compare 나부끼다 (nabukkida, to flutter in the wind), 나붓거리다 (nabutgeorida, to repeatedly flutter), and 나붓나붓 (nabunnabut, flutteringly).

Related to 나방 (nabang, moth).

 
나비 (nabi)

Pronunciation edit

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?nabi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?nabi
McCune–Reischauer?nabi
Yale Romanization?napi
  • South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 비의 / 비에 / 비까지

    Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the first syllable, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

Noun edit

나비 (nabi)

  1. butterfly
    Synonyms: 호접(胡蝶) (hojeop), 호접(蝴蝶) (hojeop)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit

Etymology 2 edit

(nap, monkey) (obsolete) +‎ (-i, noun-attaching suffix). The semantic shift is not well-understood. Monkeys are not native to Korea, and perhaps there was some confusion leading to a belief that they looked like cats.

Pronunciation edit

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?nabi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?nabi
McCune–Reischauer?nabi
Yale Romanization?napi

Noun edit

나비 (nabi)

  1. (childish) kitty
See also edit

References edit

  • 허인영 (Heo In-yeong) (2019) “'원숭이'의 어휘사 [wonsung'i ui eohwisa, A lexical history of [words for] "monkey"]”, in Han'gugeohak, volume 83, pages 243–272