Korean

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Etymology

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Sino-Korean word from 妹氏, from (sister) + (family suffix).

Pronunciation

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Romanizations
Revised Romanization?maessi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?mae'ssi
McCune–Reischauer?maessi
Yale Romanization?may.ssi

Noun

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매씨 (maessi) (hanja 妹氏)

  1. (honorific, formal or southwestern Jeolla dialect) sister of a male
    Synonym: 누이 (nu'i)

Usage notes

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In the southwestern varieties of the Jeolla dialect, this term is traditionally used by men to politely refer to married older sisters (but not unmarried older sisters, or any younger sisters). It is not used colloquially in any other dialect, although it is still seen in writing.

Synonyms

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Historical and regional synonyms of 누나 (nuna, older sister of a male)
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GroupRegionLocationWords
Standardised formsSouth Korean Standard Language누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.)
North Korean Cultured Language누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.)
Historical formsMiddle Korean누의 (nwùùy) (also y.)
Early Modern Seoul Korean누의 (nuui) (also y.), 누위 (nuwi) (also y.)
Central KoreanGyeonggiModern colloquial Seoul누나 (nuna), 누님 (nunim) (hon.)
YeongdongGangneung누우 (nùú), ()
Jeongseon누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.)
South ChungcheongSeosan뉘님 (nwīnim)
Yesan뉘나 (nwīna)
Hongseong뉘님 (nwīnim)
Boryeong뉘나 (nwina)
Buyeo누님 (nunim), 누이 (nu'i)
Seocheon누님 (nunim), 눈님 (nunnim)
Gyeongsang KoreanNorth GyeongsangDaegu누'부 (nu bu)
Mungyeong'누나 ( nuna), 누님 (núnìm)
Andong (nu), 누님 (núnìm)
Gumi누'우 (nu u)
Goryeong누'부 (nu bu)
South GyeongsangBusan누'부 (nu bu), 누임 (núìm) (hon.)
Ulsan누'부 (nu bu), 누부 (nubu)
Changwon누'부 (nu bu), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Geochang누'부 (nu bu), '누나 ( nuna), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Hapcheon누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u)
Changnyeong누'부 (nu bu), 누'비 (nu bi), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Miryang누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u), '누나 ( nuna), 누'우야 (nu uya)
Hamyang누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Sancheong누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.), 누우님 (nùúnìm) (hon), 눈님 (núnnìm) (hon.)
Uiryeong누'우 (nu u)
Hadong누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u), (nu), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.), 누님 (núnìm) (hon.)
Jinju누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Haman누'부 (nu bu), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.)
Gimhae누'부 (nu bu)
Yangsan누'부 (nu bu), '누나 ( nuna)
Sacheon누'우 (nu u)
Goseong누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u)
Namhae누'부 (nu bu), 누'우 (nu u)
Geoje누'우 (nu u), 누'야 (nu ya) (chil.), 엉가 (éunggà)
Ulju누'부 (nu bu), '누나 ( nuna)
DiasporaHarbin눈님 (núnnìm)
Jeolla KoreanNorth JeollaGunsan (nu), 누님 (nunim)
Iksan누나 (nuna), 누님 (nunim)
Muju누지 (nūji), 누나 (nuna), (seong), 형님 (hyeongnim)
South JeollaYeonggwang누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim)
Gokseong (nu)
Hampyeong누임 (nūim)
Muan (nu), (nwī), 매씨 (messi) (married)
Gwangyang누님 (nūnim)
Jindo누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim)
Wando누나 (nūna), (nu), 누님 (nūnim) (hon.), (nwīm) (hon), 매씨 (messi) (married)
Goheung누님 (nūnim), 누나 (nūna) (voc.)
Yeosu누나 (nūna), 누님 (nūnim)
Pyongan KoreanSouth PyonganRyonggang누이 (nu'i) (unmarried, also y.), 누님 (nunim) (married)
Mundok누이 (nu'i) (unmarried, also y.), 누님 (nunim) (married)
North PyonganSonchon (nwi)
Ryongchon누이 (nu'i), 누님 (nunim) (hon.)
Chosan누이 (nu'i), 누님 (nunim) (married)
DiasporaShenyang누야 (nuya) (also y.)
Hamgyong KoreanNorth HamgyongSamsu누'어미 (nu eomi)
Yukjin KoreanYukjinKyongwon누비 (nùbì), 누배 (nùbàe)
DiasporaHunchun느비 (nèubì), 느베 (nèubè)
Longjing누애 (nùàe), 누얘 (nùyàe), 누이님 (nùìním) (married)
JejuJeju City누님 (nunim)
Daejeong누님 (nunim)
Gujwa누님 (nunim)
Seogwipo누님 (nunim)
hon.: honorific / voc.: vocative / chil.: childish (exact age range may differ)
also y.: refers to any sister of a male, regardless of relative age
This table is an amalgamation of surveys of speakers mostly born before 1950 and may not reflect the language of younger speakers, which has lexically converged towards the standard Seoul dialect in both North and South Koreas.