Korean

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Etymology

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Probably 월(月) (wol, moon, Sino-Korean affix) +‎ (gwi, ear) +‎ (tan, from Manchu ᡨᠠᠨᠠ (tana, pearl)).[1]

Pronunciation

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Romanizations
Revised Romanization?wolgwitan
Revised Romanization (translit.)?wolgwitan
McCune–Reischauer?wŏlgwit'an
Yale Romanization?wel.kwi.than

Noun

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월귀탄 (wolgwitan) (Hamgyong, otherwise obsolete)

  1. earring
    Synonym: 귀걸이 (gwigeori)
  2. traditional hairpin shaped like an earpick

Usage notes

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  • The term briefly spread to other dialects in the late nineteenth century, but failed to enter the standard language and was consequently forgotten.

References

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  1. ^ ()()() (2018) “국어의 만주퉁구스어·몽골어系 어휘와 그 지리적 분포 [Manchu-Tungusic and Mongolic vocabulary in Korean and its geographic distribution]”, in Jindan hakbo (in Korean), volume 131, pages 281—309