토끼

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 톳〮기〮 (Yale: thwóskí).

Traditionally interpreted as Sino-Korean 兎 (to, “rabbit”) + unknown elements /-s-ki/, but seems more likely to be ultimately from Proto-Tungusic *tuksakī (“hare”). The Sino-Korean etymology cannot give any clear source for the second syllable, while a very close match to the Tungusic is found in the dialectal Middle Korean form *투ᄭᅵ〮 (Yale: *thwùskí), attested in the place name 투ᄭᅵᆺ〮골〯 (Yale: Thwùskí-s-kwǒl, “rabbit valley”). The first syllable was probably then conflated with 兎 (thwo), leading to the modern form. Compare Oroqen tʊkʃakɪ (“rabbit”).

Pronunciation

토끼 (tokki)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [tʰo̞k͈i]
• Phonetic hangul: [토끼]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	tokki
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	to'kki
McCune–Reischauer?	t'okki
Yale Romanization?	tho.kki

Noun

토끼 • (tokki) (counter 마리)

1. leporid(hare, rabbit), bunny

Alternative forms

• 톳기 (totgi), 톡기 (tokgi) — obsolete spellings before standardization

Derived terms

• 멧토끼 (met'tokki, “wild hare”)
• 산토끼 (santokki, “wild hare”)
• 집토끼 (jiptokki, “house rabbit”)
• 토끼굴 (tokkigul, “rabbit burrow”)
• 토끼뜀 (tokkittwim, “jumping like a rabbit”)
• 토끼띠 (tokkitti, “born in the year of the rabbit”)
• 토끼몰이 (tokkimori, “to put up against the wall”, literally “cornering rabbits”)
• 토끼자리 (tokkijari, “Lepus constellation”)
• 토끼잠 (tokkijam, “shallow sleep”)
• 토끼장 (tokkijang, “rabbit hutch”)
• 토끼풀 (tokkipul, “clover”)