-으옵-

Korean

Alternative forms

-오- (-o-) — after vowels or ㄹ (l), before vowels
-옵- (-op-) — after vowels or ㄹ (l), before consonants
-으오- (-euo-) — after other consonants, before vowels
으옵 (-euop-) — after other consonants, before consonants

Etymology

From Middle Korean -ᅀᆞᇦ- (Yale: -zòW◌́-, object-honoring suffix), from Old Korean 白 (*SOLPO-). The expected form after consonants is -습- (-seup-), cf. -소 (-so) and -습니다 (-seumnida), but in contemporary Korean an epenthetical vowel was introduced instead to produce -으옵 (-euop).

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɯo̞p̚]
Phonetic hangul: [으옵]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	euop
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	euob
McCune–Reischauer^?	ŭop
Yale Romanization^?	uop

Suffix

-으옵- • (-euop-)

(very formal or dated) A highly polite deferential suffix.
하오니 ― ha-o-ni

다름이 아니오라 ― dareum-i ani-o-ra

대자대비 세존 께 귀의하옵고 지극정성 으로 발원하 나이다.
Daejadaebi sejon-kke gwiui-ha-op-go jigeukjeongseong-euro barwon-ha-naida.
I turn towards the ever-compassionate World-Honored One [the Buddha], and with utmost devotion I utter my prayer.

Usage notes

The ㅂ (b) is lost before the epenthetical vowel -으- (-eu-), which itself is elided. This can make it seem as if the -오- (-o-) or -으오 (-euo) combines to consonant-initial suffixes:
‎하 (ha-) + ‎-으옵- (-euop-) + ‎-으니 (-euni) → ‎하오니 (haoni)

‎아니 (ani-) + ‎-으옵- (-euop-) + ‎-으라 (-eura) → ‎아니오라 (aniora)