걸프렌드

Korean

Etymology

Borrowed from English girlfriend.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kʌ̹ɭpʰɯɾe̞ndɯ]
• Phonetic hangul: [걸프렌드]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	geolpeurendeu
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	geolpeulendeu
McCune–Reischauer?	kŏlp'ŭrendŭ
Yale Romanization?	kel.phuleyntu

Noun

걸프렌드 • (geolpeurendeu)

1. (dated) girlfriend

   Synonyms: 여자친구(女子親舊) (yeojachin'gu), 여친(女親) (yeochin, colloquial)

   Coordinate term: 보이프렌드 (boipeurendeu)

   • 1969, “大(대)學(학)生(생)活(활)”, in The Dong-a Ilbo:

     대부분의 學(학)生(생)들은 걸프렌드와 드라이브를 즐기거나 맥주를 마시면서 댄스를 즐기기도 한다.

     Most students go for a car ride with their girlfriends, or enjoy Western dancing while drinking beer.

   • 1970, “頒(반)布(포) 524돌 맞은 한글 反(반)省(성)”, in Kyunghyang Shinmun:

     날씬한 걸프렌드나 하나 달고 뮤직홀에 가서 소울이나 사이키델릭을 들으면서 레저를 즐기는 것도 퍽 모던한 취미가 아니겠어?

     Nalssinhan geolpeurendeu-na hana dalgo myujikhor-e gaseo sour-ina saikidellig-eul deureumyeonseo rejeo-reul jeulgineun geot-do peok modeonhan chwimi-ga ani-gess-eo?

     If I were to go to a music hall with one svelte girlfriend at my side and indulge in leisure while listening to soul or psychedelic [music], wouldn't that be a very fashionable hobby too?

   • 1974, “西(서)域(역) 萬(만)里(리) 終(종)着(착)地(지) 이스탄불”, in The Chosun Ilbo:

     이스탄불에서의 데이트는 셋이서 한다. 걸프렌드의 자매나 사촌자매가 꼭 따라야 하기 때문이다.

     Iseutanbur-eseo-ui deiteu-neun ses-i-seo handa. Geolpeurendeu-ui jamae-na sachonjamae-ga kkok ttaraya hagi ttaemun-ida.

     A date in Istanbul is always between three. This is because a sister or female cousin of the girlfriend must always follow her.

Usage notes

• This term was common in the 1960s and 1970s to denote the novel social concept of "girlfriend", then newly introduced from the West, but has now been displaced by the native coinage 여자친구 (yeojachin'gu). The borrowing is today rarely used, and then most often as an intentional reference to the English word girlfriend or the Japanese equivalent ガールフレンド (gārufurendo) (e.g. in foreign contexts, or in genres that intentionally emulate foreign writing).