Goguryeo language

The Goguryeo language was spoken in the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo (37 BC – AD 668), one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The language is also known as Koguryo, Koguryoic, and Koguryoan. It is unknown except for a small number of words, which mostly suggest that it was similar but not identical to the language of Silla, and influenced by the Tungusic languages. Supporters of the Altaic language family often classify the Goguryeo language as a member of that language family. Most Korean linguists believe that Goguryeo language was closest to the Altaic languages.Striking similarities between Baekje and Goguryeo can also be found, which is consistent with the legends that describe Baekje being founded by the sons of Goguryeo's founder. The Goguryeo names for government posts are mostly similar to those of Baekje and Silla.There are some hypotheses on the classification of the Goguryeo language which is disputed at the present time. [http://www.historyfoundation.or.kr/Data/DataGarden/Journal(02-2)(2).pdf] Some linguists propose the so-called "Buyeo languages" family that includes the languages of Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Old Japanese. Chinese records suggest that the languages of Goguryeo, Buyeo, East Okjeo, and Gojoseon were similar, while the Goguryeo language differed significantly from that of Malgal (Mohe) [後漢書 東夷列傳 第七十五 挹婁] [魏書 捲一百 列傳第八十八 勿吉] [北史 捲九十四 列傳第八十二 勿吉]

Some words of Goguryeo origin can be found in the old Korean language (early 10th to late 14th century) but most were soon replaced with ones of Silla origin.

Vocabulary comparison

The tables below provides a vocabulary comparison that illustrates a number of examples of sound shifts that have occurred between Goguryeo languages and the main Buyeo and Tungusic languages, along with a selection of minority languages.

Notes

Further reading

*Beckwith, C. I. (2004). "Koguryo, the language of Japan's continental relatives: an introduction to the historical-comparative study of the Japanese Koguryoic languages with a preliminary description of Archaic northeastern Middle Chinese". Brill's Japanese studies library, v. 21. Boston: Brill. ISBN 9004139494
*Beckwith (2006). "Methodological Observations on Some Recent Studies of the Early Ethnolinguistic History of Korea and Vicinity." "Altai Hakpo" 2006, 16: 199-234.
*Beckwith (2006). "The Ethnolinguistic History of the Early Korean Peninsula Region: Japanese-Koguryoic and Other Languages in the Koguryo, Paekche, and Silla Kingdoms." "Journal of Inner and East Asian Studies", 2006, Vol. 2-2: 34-64.
*Beckwith (2007): "Koguryo, the Language of Japan's Continental Relatives: An Introduction to the Historical-Comparative Study of the Japanese-Koguryoic Languages, with a Preliminary Description of Archaic Northeastern Middle Chinese." Brill Academic Publishers, 2004. ISBN 90-04-13949-4. Second edition, 2007. ISBN 90-04-16025-5
* http://thomaspellard.ryukyu.googlepages.com/reviewKoguryro.pdf

ee also

* Korean language
* Altaic languages
* Buyeo languages
* List of Korea-related topics
* Old Korean

External links

Japanese

* [http://www.geocities.co.jp/CollegeLife-Club/5420/koukuri.html/ 娜々志娑无のぺぇじ]
* [http://www.dai3gen.net/kg0.htm 高句麗語の研究を勉強する]

Korean

* [http://www.chosun.ac.kr/~ongmi/teaching/korhistory/kh4-5.htm Relationship between Koguryoan and other related languages]
* [http://www.chosun.ac.kr/~ongmi/teaching/korhistory/kh4-6.htm Koguryoan Sillan and Paekchean words]
* [http://www.chosun.ac.kr/~ongmi/teaching/korhistory/kh4-7.htm Additional Koguryoan and Old Japanese words]
* [http://www.wxneworld.com/onews.asp?id=341 The Korean language]

English

* [http://www.msu.edu/~jk13/Abs.Beckwith.pdf Ancient Koguryo, Old Koguryo and the Relationship of Japanese to Korean (Abstract)]