도롱뇽

Korean

Etymology

도롱뇽
salamander on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

First attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 되룡 (Yale: twòylyòng).

This word appears to be a compound of an unknown morpheme *되 (*twoy) with Sino-Korean 龍 (lyong, “dragon”).

The word underwent sound change to 되롱 (doerong) by the eighteenth century, which made speakers unaware that the word was originally a compound involving 龍. Consequently, speakers reattached the same character 龍 to the word, producing 되롱뇽 (doerongnyong). The initial diphthong was monophthongized in the nineteenth century to create the present form.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [to̞ɾo̞ŋɲoŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [도롱뇽]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	dorongnyong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	dolongnyong
McCune–Reischauer?	torongnyong
Yale Romanization?	tolongnyong

Noun

도롱뇽 • (dorongnyong)

1. salamander
2. specifically Korean salamander, Hynobius leechii

Derived terms

• 범무늬도롱뇽 (beommunuidorongnyong, “tiger salamander”)
• 점박이도롱뇽 (jeombagidorongnyong, “spotted salamander”)

See also

• 鯢 (예, ye)