터울

Korean

Etymology

From unattested Middle Korean *터ᄫᅳᆯ (*theWul), from pre-Middle Korean *thepul; compare Gyeongsang Korean 터불 (teobul, “age gap between siblings”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [tʰʌ̹uɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: [터울]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	teoul
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	teoul
McCune–Reischauer?	t'ŏul
Yale Romanization?	thewul

Noun

터울 • (teoul)

1. age difference between siblings

   언니와 저는 세 살 터울입니다. (spoken by a woman)

   Eonni-wa jeo-neun se sal teour-imnida.

   There is a three-year age gap between me and my older sister.

   • 2016, 조남주 [jonamju, Cho Nam-Joo], 82년생 김지영 [82nyeonsaeng gimjiyeong, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982], →ISBN, page 26:

     어머니는 터울이 져서 그런지 누나들이 샘도 없고, 동생을 잘 돌봐 준다고 항상 칭찬했는데, 자꾸 칭찬을 받으니까 정말 샘을 낼 수도 없었다.

     Eomeoni-neun teour-i jeoseo geureonji nuna-deur-i saem-do eopgo, dongsaeng-eul jal dolbwa jundago hangsang chingchanhaenneunde, jakku chingchan-eul badeunikka jeongmal saem-eul nael su-do eopseotda.

     Mother always complimented them, saying that the older sisters weren't jealous and took good care of their little brother, maybe because of the age difference. They were complimented so much that they couldn't actually try and be jealous of him.

2. (sometimes proscribed) any age difference between two people

   Synonyms: 나이차 (naicha), 나이 차이 (nai chai)

   • 2007, “"15살 터울 부부가 자식 가장 많이 낳는다" ["15sal teoul bubuga jasik gajang mani nanneunda"]”, in The Hankyoreh‎^[1]:

     15살 터울 부부가 자식 가장 많이 낳는다

     yeoldaseotsal teoul bubu-ga jasik gajang mani nanneunda

     A couple with a fifteen-year age difference have the largest number of children.

Usage notes

Only used with the native counter 살 (sal, “year of age”) and the native numeral set.

Derived terms

• 터울이 뜨다 (teouri tteuda, “to have a (significant) age gap”)
• 터울이 지다 (teouri jida, “to have a (significant) age gap”)