사람

Korean

Alternative forms

사ᄅᆞᆷ (saram) – Early Modern

Etymology

First attested in the Hunminjeong'eum haerye (訓民正音解例 / 훈민정음해례), 1446, as Middle Korean 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (Yale: sǎlòm).

In Middle Korean, 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (Yale: sǎlòm) was a derived substantive of 살〯다〮 (Yale: sǎl-tá, “to live”) with ᄋᆞᆷ (Yale: -om, nominalizer) (> modern 음 (eum)), and thus literally meant "one who is alive".[1] It is no longer perceived as a derived noun by modern speakers.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈsʰa̠(ː)ɾa̠m]
- (file)
Phonetic hangul: [사(ː)람]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	saram
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	salam
McCune–Reischauer^?	saram
Yale Romanization^?	sālam

South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 사람의 / 사람에 / 사람까지
Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the second syllable, and also heightens the subsequent suffixed syllable.

Noun

사람 • (saram)

human being, person
Synonyms: 인간(人間) (in'gan, “human being”), (honorific) 분 (bun), (dated or formal) 이 (i)
그러면 내가 어떤 사람이 되는 거겠어?
geureomyeon nae-ga eotteon saram-i doeneun geo-gess-eo?
What kind of person would I be then?
영국 사람
Yeongguk saram
A British person
미국 사람
Miguk saram
An American person
(law) a person (encompassing both legal and natural persons)
Synonym: 인(人) (in)
Hyponyms: 법인(法人) (beobin, “legal person”), 자연인(自然人) (jayeonin, “natural person”)

Derived terms

눈사람 (nunsaram, “snowman, snowperson”)
뱃사람 (baetsaram, “sailor”)
생(生)사람 (saengsaram, “innocent person, living person”)
아랫사람 (araetsaram, “one's junior, subordinate, underling”)
윗사람 (witsaram, “one's senior, elder, superior”)
집사람 (jipsaram, “(humble) one's wife”)
촌(村)사람 (chonsaram, “country person”)

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