시안하다

Korean

Etymology

Nativisation of the Sino-Korean term 희한하다 (稀罕하다, huihanhada, “to be weird, unusual”).

Adjective

시안하다 • (sianhada) (infinitive 시안해 or 시안하여, sequential 시안하니)

1. (Pyongan, Gangwon, possibly southern Hamgyong) Dialectal form of 희한하다 (huihanhada, “to be rare, unusual”)
   • 2013 June 21, 권문국 [gwonmun'guk], “나의 살던 고향은 [naui saldeon gohyang'eun]”, in KBS 고향극장 [KBS gohyanggeukjang]‎^[1], 함경남도 여흥군 (현 금야군) [hamgyeongnamdo yeoheunggun (hyeon geumyagun)]:

     ...또 함흥냉면이 생각나고 그게 시안하네.

     ...Tto hamheungnaengmyeon-i saenggangna-go geuge sianhane.

     ...It's weird that I remember [the taste of] Hamheung Naengmyon again [after eating at this place].

     • The speaker fled to Sokcho from his hometown as a 20 year old during the Korean war which (at the time of the video) was 60 years ago. Thus, it is plausible that his use of the word is the result of influence from the Yeongdong Gangwon dialect traditionally spoken in Sokcho. However, Yeoheung county is sometimes considered to speak the Yeongdong dialect, which includes Gangwon, meaning that it may not necessarily be the result of influence from the Sokcho dialect.