-이야

See also: 이야

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Korean -이〮ᅀᅡ〮 (Yale: -í-zá), from Old Korean 是沙 (*-i-sa).

In Old Korean, 沙 (*-sa) was actually a verbal suffix, so the first element 是 (*-i-) > -이〮- (Yale: -í-) is simply the copula -이다 (-ida, “to be”).

After Middle Korean /z/ was lost, /-j-/ was introduced to break hiatus. Gyeongsang Korean -이사 (-isa) preserves the original pronunciation.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ija̠]
Phonetic hangul: [이야]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	iya
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	iya
McCune–Reischauer^?	iya
Yale Romanization^?	iya

Particle

-이야 • (-iya)

as for; adds emphasis to the topic of the sentence.
그야 모를 일 이 지. ― Geu-ya moreul ir-i-ji. ― As for that, it's something [we] can't know.

저야 다쳐도 괜찮으니 아이 만 구해 주세요.
Jeo-ya dacheodo gwaenchaneuni ai-man guhae-juseyo.
As for me, it's okay if I get hurt; please, just save the kid.

이 정도 쯤이야 식은 죽 먹기 지!
i jeongdo-jjeum-iya sigeun juk meokgi-ji!
As for this level, it's a pushover!

사람이야 희노애락 이 있지만 천지신명 도 그렇겠소?
saram-iya huinoaerag-i itjiman cheonjisinmyeong-do geureoketso?
As for we humans, we are pleased or angry, sad or happy; but would the myriad spirits be like us?

Alternative forms

-야 (-ya) — after vowels
-이사 (-isa), -사 (-sa) — Gyeongsang dialect