하느님

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the 太平詞 / 태평사, 1598, as Early Modern Korean 하ᄂᆞ님 (Yale: hanonim), in a Confucian context. Equivalent to 하늘 (haneul, “heaven”) +‎ 님 (nim, “lord”).

Rare in traditional Korean folk religion, where heaven-worship is not a major religious belief. The Catholic usage is perhaps a calque of Chinese 天主 (Tiānzhǔ, “Lord of Heaven; God”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ha̠nɯnim]
• Phonetic hangul: [하느님]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	Haneunim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	Haneunim
McCune–Reischauer?	Hanŭnim
Yale Romanization?	hanunim

Proper noun

하느님 • (Haneunim)

1. God, heaven
   • 1598, 박인로/朴仁老, 태평사/太平詞:

     天(천)運(운)循(순)環(환)을 아옵게다 하ᄂᆞ님아

     cheonunsunhwaneul aopgeda haneunima

     O Heaven, I have understood the circulation of destiny

   • 1896, “애국가(愛國歌) (Aegukga)”, Yun Chi-ho (lyrics):

     하느님이 보우하사 우리나라 만세

     haneunim-i bouhasa urinara manse

     May God preserve our country for ten thousand years

2. (Catholicism, Orthodoxy) God, creator
   • Korean Catholic Bible, Changsegi (創世記 / 창세기) (Genesis) 1:1

     한처음에 하느님께서 하늘과 땅을 창조하셨다.

     Hancheo'eum-e haneunim-kkeseo haneul-gwa ttang-eul changjohasyeotda.

     In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Related terms

• 천주(天主) (Cheonju, “the Lord of Heaven, God”)
• 하나님 (Hananim, “God, creator”)