kangmi: learning korean

岡 美

A while back I wrote about the Chinese meaning of my Korean name. I had done enough research to satisfy myself that 강미 meant “beautiful mountain” as I had once been told, but I didn’t bother to document my research and I soon found myself chasing rabbits down some fascinating but completely wrong paths, all for want of a map.

So for the record, I’m making a map.

First, the 도장 image:

The upper character on the left is 岡, or 강. It means, variously:

• 언덕: a hill; a hillock; a height; a rising ground; a slope

• 구릉: a hill; a hillock

• 산등성이: a (mountain) ridge

• 산봉우리: a mountain peak

The lower character on the left is 美, or 미. It means, variously:

• 맛이 좋다, 맛있다: (be) delicious; sweet; nice; tasty; palatable; savory; flavorous

• 아름답다: (be) beautiful; pretty; lovely; fine; picturesque

• 좋다, 좋은 일, 착한 것: (be) good; fine; nice;

• 경사스럽다: ((an event)) be happy

• 기리다: applaud; praise; admire; commend; extol; speak highly of

• 즐기다: enjoy oneself ((over)); take pleasure[delight] in; amuse oneself ((with)); make merry; take a fancy to[for]; be fond of

On the right is the character for 심, used as my family name. No idea what it means...my research in this area has yielded nothing.

Additional credit goes to Victoria, 유교수님, and 안교수님...your assistance sent me in the right direction.

Posted by kangmi on June 14, 2004 at 2:00 PM0 comments