뒷다마

Korean

Etymology

Compound of 뒤 (dwi, “back”) +‎ ㅅ (-s-, genitive -s-) +‎ 다마 (dama, “billiard ball”), the last component from Japanese 玉 (“ball”).

Sometimes, the "talking behind someone's back" sense is alternatively interpreted as a blend of 뒤 (dwi, “back”) +‎ ㅅ (-s-, genitive -s-) +‎ *아다마 (*adama, “head”), the last component from Japanese 頭 (“head”). Compare 뒤통수를 치다 (dwitongsureul chida).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [tɥit̚t͈a̠ma̠] ~ [tyt̚t͈a̠ma̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [뒫따마]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	dwitdama
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	dwisdama
McCune–Reischauer?	twittama
Yale Romanization?	twistama

Noun

뒷다마 • (dwitdama)

1. (billiards) (in four-ball billiards) to hit the object ball from the back
2. (slang, vulgar, dated, now sometimes seen as nonstandard) the act of talking negatively behind someone's back

   Synonyms: 뒷담화 (dwitdamhwa), 뒷담 (dwitdam)

   뒷다마를 까다

   dwitdama-reul kkada

   to talk negatively behind [someone's] back

   나는 뒷다마 까는 사람들이 제일 싫더라.

   Na-neun dwitdama kka-neun saram-deur-i jeil sil-teora.

   I hate people who talk behind others' backs the most.

Usage notes

Due to its Japanese origin and vulgarity, this word was purified in the late '90s to early 2000s to 뒷담화 (dwitdamhwa). The purification was so successful that today, many younger speakers perceive it to be the original form. By such speakers, this word may be perceived as a misspelling.