엉가
Korean
Alternative forms
- 언가 (eon'ga), 은가 (eun'ga), 응가 (eungga)
Etymology
From 형아 (hyeong'a, “older sibling”), from 형(兄) (hyeong, “older same-sex sibling”) + 아 (-a, vocative particle), with [g] introduced as fortition of nasal [ŋ]. Colloquial Korean family terms tend to include a fused vocative particle.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ʌ̹ŋɡa̠~ɤŋɡa̠~əŋɡa̠]
- South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 엉가의 / 엉가에 / 엉가까지
Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the first syllable, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.
Noun
엉가 • (eongga)
- (dated, chiefly southern dialectal, including Gyeongsang, Jeolla dialect) older sister of a girl or woman
- 엉가가 엄마 맞잡이가 돼갖고 […] (Gyeongsang dialect, Changwon)
- eongga-ga eomma matjabi-ga dwaegatgo […]
- Older sister was like a stand-in for Mom […]
- Synonym: 언니 (eonni, Standard Seoul)
- Hypernym: 세이 (sei)
Usage notes
Generally replaced by Standard 언니 (eonni) for younger speakers.