매미

Korean

Etymology

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

Equivalent to 맴 (maem, onomatopoeia of cicada calling) +‎ 이 (-i, noun-deriving suffix).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈmɛ(ː)mi] ~ [ˈme̞(ː)mi]
• Phonetic hangul: [매(ː)미/메(ː)미]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	maemi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	maemi
McCune–Reischauer?	maemi
Yale Romanization?	māymi

Noun

매미 • (maemi)

1. cicada (sound-making insect on trees)
2. (prison jargon) prostitute

Synonyms

• 쓰르라미 (sseureurami)

Derived terms

• 꽃매미 (kkonmaemi, “spotted lanternfly”)
• 늦털매미 (neut'teolmaemi)
• 말매미 (malmaemi)
• 말매미 (malmaemi)
• 매미나방 (maeminabang, “gypsy moth”)
• 민민매미 (minminmaemi)
• 쓰름매미 (sseureummaemi)
• 애매미 (aemaemi)
• 유지매미 (yujimaemi)
• 저녁매미 (jeonyeongmaemi)
• 참깽깽매미 (chamkkaengkkaengmaemi)
• 참매미 (chammaemi)
• 털매미 (teolmaemi)

See also

• 귀뚜라미 (gwitturami): cricket
• 메뚜기 (mettugi): short-horned grasshopper, locust
• 베짱이 (bejjang'i): long-horned grasshopper