Korean edit

Etymology edit

First attested in the Dongmun yuhae (同文類解 / 동문유해), 1748, as Early Modern Korean 씨앗.

The first syllable is likely related to (ssi, seed, kernel).

Dialectal forms such as 시갓 (sigat) and 씨갓 (ssigat) show that this word may be a compound consisting of (ssi, seed, kernel) + a cranberry morpheme (gat). If this is the case, the standard Korean term must have undergone lenition from /k/ -> */ɣ/ -> /Ø/ after /i/. Compare a similar development in 벌레 (beolle) and dialectal 벌게 (beolge), 벌거지 (beolgeoji), 벌기 (beolgi).

Pronunciation edit

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?ssiat
Revised Romanization (translit.)?ssias
McCune–Reischauer?ssiat
Yale Romanization?ssias

Noun edit

씨앗 (ssiat)

  1. seed, grain

Synonyms edit