스승

Korean

Etymology

In the Hangul script, first attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 스스ᇰ (Yale: sùsùng).

Beyond the Hangul sources, apparently from a first-century Korean royal title which was transcribed in Middle Chinese as 次次雄 (MC tshijH tshijH hjuwng), which is explicitly said to have meant "shaman" in Old Korean.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰɯsʰɯŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [스승]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seuseung
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seuseung
McCune–Reischauer?	sŭsŭng
Yale Romanization?	susung

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 스승의 / 스승에 / 스승까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the second syllable, except before consonant-initial multisyllabic suffixes, when it takes full low pitch.

Noun

스승 • (seuseung)

1. mentor, instructor, guide (in life)

   어머니는 제 인생의 스승입니다.

   Eomeoni-neun je insaeng-ui seuseung-imnida.

   My mother is the mentor of my life.

2. (North Pyongan, Hamgyong, Russia) shaman

   Synonyms: 무속인(巫俗人) (musogin), 무당 (mudang); see also Thesaurus:무속인

See also

• 선생(先生) (seonsaeng, “teacher”)