구룸

Middle Korean

Etymology

Middle Korean nouns ending in *-m tend to be substantialized verbs, but the putative etymon, *구루다 (kwulwu-ta), is not attested. John Whitman speculated a connection to Old Japanese 雲 (kumo₁), but Alexander Vovin rejects this.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kulum/, [kuɾum]

Noun

구〮룸 (kwúlwùm)

cloud
- 1447, Grand Prince Suyang, 釋譜詳節 / 석보상절 [Seokbo sangjeol], page 20:9b:
  虛(헝)空(코ᇰ)애〮 ᄀᆞᄃᆞ기 구〮룸 ᄀᆞ〮티 ᄂᆞ리〮며〮 […]
  HÈ.KHWÒNG-áy kòtòkì kwúlwùm kót-hì nòlímyé […]
  Filling the air, it descends like clouds
- 1459, 月印釋譜 / 월인석보 [Worin seokbo], page 4:45a:
  ᄃᆞᆯ〮니ᇝ〯긔〮 구〮룸 몯ᄃᆞᆺ〮 더〮시니〮
  tól-nǐm-skúy kwúlwùm mwòt tós tésìní
  They were like clouds which gather towards the honored moon

Descendants

Korean: 구름 (gureum)