위

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위	U+C704, 위 HANGUL SYLLABLE WI

Composition:

ㅇ + ㅟ

← 윃
[U+C703]

Hangul Syllables

윅 →
[U+C705]

웨 ←	→ 유
위윅 윆 윇 윈 윉 윊 윋 윌 윍 윎 윏 윐 윑 윒 윓 윔 윕 윖 윗 윘 윙 윚 윛 윜 윝 윞 윟

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 웋 (wùh), from Old Korean 上只 (*WUk). Cognate with Jeju 우 (u).

In the hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 웋 (Yale: wùh).

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
Phonetic hangul: [위]

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

South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 위의 / 위에 / 위까지
Syllables in red take high pitch. This word takes low pitch only before consonant-initial multisyllabic suffixes.

Noun

South Korean Standard Language	위 (wi)
North Korean Standard Language	우 (u)

위 • (wi)

above, upper, upside, top
Antonym: 아래 (arae)

위까지 ― wi-kkaji ― to the top

위로 ― wi-ro ― toward the top

위부터 ― wi-buteo ― from the top

위에 ― wi-e ― on the top

저는 종이 위에 사자를 그리고 있습니다. ― Jeoneun jong'i wie sajareul geurigo itseumnida. ― I am painting a lion on a paper.

Derived terms

물위 (murwi)
손위 (sonwi)
아래위 (araewi)
위아래 (wiarae)
위쪽 (wijjok)
위층 (wicheung)
위턱 (witeok)
위팔 (wipal)
윗 (wit)

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 胃.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
Phonetic hangul: [위]

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

Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 胃)

stomach
Synonym: 위장(胃臟) (wijang)

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 胃 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (胃, wi).

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 位.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
Phonetic hangul: [위]

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

Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 位)

status, position
Synonym: 지위(地位) (jiwi)

Counter

위 • (wi) (hanja 位)

rank, place
Synonym: 등(等) (deung)

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 位 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (位, wi).

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 緯.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
Phonetic hangul: [위]

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

Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 緯)

(geography) Short for 위도(緯度) (wido, “latitude”).
Antonym: 경(經) (gyeong, “longitude”)

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 緯 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (緯, wi).

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 委.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
Phonetic hangul: [위]

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

Suffix

—위 • (-wi) (hanja 委)

Short for 위원회(委員會) (wiwonhoe, “committee”).

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 委 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (委, wi).

Etymology 6

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

위 (wi)

More information

位:
(MC reading: 位 (MC hwijH))
倭:
(MC reading: 倭 (MC 'jwe))
偉:
(MC reading: 偉 (MC hjw+jX))
偽:
(MC reading: 偽 (MC ngjweH))
僞:
(MC reading: 僞 (MC ngjweH))
危:
(MC reading: 危 (MC ngjwe))
厃:
(MC reading: 厃 (MC tsyem))
叞:
(MC reading: 叞)
喟:
(MC reading: 喟 (MC khwijH|khweajH))
噅:
(MC reading: 噅 (MC xjwe))
噕:
(MC reading: 噕)
囗:
(MC reading: 囗 (MC hjw+j))
囲:
(MC reading: 囲)
圍:
(MC reading: 圍 (MC hjw+j|hjw+jH))
委:
(MC reading: 委 (MC 'jwe|'jweX))
威:
(MC reading: 威 (MC 'jw+j))
幃:
(MC reading: 幃 (MC hjw+j))
慰:
(MC reading: 慰 (MC 'jw+jH))
暐:
(MC reading: 暐 (MC hjw+jX))
渭:
(MC reading: 渭 (MC hjw+jH))
為:
(MC reading: 為 (MC hjwe|hjweH))
煒:
(MC reading: 煒 (MC hjw+jX))
熨:
(MC reading: 熨 (MC 'jw+jH|'jut))
爲:
(MC reading: 爲 (MC hjwe|hjweH))
瑋:
(MC reading: 瑋 (MC hjw+jX))
痿:
(MC reading: 痿 (MC 'jwe|nywe))
緯:
(MC reading: 緯 (MC hjw+jH))
胃:
(MC reading: 胃 (MC hjw+jH))
萎:
(MC reading: 萎 (MC 'jwe|'jweH))
葦:
(MC reading: 葦 (MC hjw+jX))
葳:
(MC reading: 葳 (MC 'jw+j))
蒍:
(MC reading: 蒍 (MC hjweX))
蔚:
(MC reading: 蔚 (MC 'jw+jH|'jut))
蔿:
(MC reading: 蔿)
蝟:
(MC reading: 蝟 (MC hjw+jH))
衛:
(MC reading: 衛 (MC hjwejH))
衞:
(MC reading: 衞 (MC hjwejH))
袆:
(MC reading: 袆)
褘:
(MC reading: 褘 (MC xjw+j))
諉:
(MC reading: 諉 (MC nrjweH))
謂:
(MC reading: 謂 (MC hjw+jH))
逶:
(MC reading: 逶 (MC 'jwe))
違:
(MC reading: 違 (MC hjw+j))
闈:
(MC reading: 闈 (MC hjw+j))
韋:
(MC reading: 韋 (MC hjw+j))
韙:
(MC reading: 韙 (MC hjw+jX))
韡:
(MC reading: 韡 (MC hjw+jX))
餧:
(MC reading: 餧 (MC nwojX|'jweH))
魏:
(MC reading: 魏 (MC ngjw+jH))

Middle Korean

Etymology

Probably imitative. Compare English oi, Japanese おい (oi).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ǔj/

Interjection

위 (wǔy) (Idu script 爲 or 偉)

An interjection which appears in certain poems.
- 1330, 안축/安軸 [An Chuk], 關東別曲/관동별곡 [Gwandong byeolgok, Song of the Lands East of the Pass]:
  爲(위〯) 四(ᄉᆞ〯)海(ᄒᆡ〯) 天(텬)下(하〯) 無(업〯)豆(두〮)舍叱(샷)多(다〮)
  WǓY SǑ.HǑY THYÈN.HǍ ĚP.TWÚ.SYÀS.TÁ
  O, it does not exist [anywhere else] between the four seas under Heaven!
- 16th century [14th century?], “[思母曲/사모곡] [Jeongseok-ga]”, in 樂章歌詞/악장가사 [Akjang gasa]:
  아바님도 어이어신 마ᄅᆞᄂᆞᆫ
  위 덩더둥셩
  어마님 ᄀᆞ티 괴시리 업세라
  apa-nim-two ei-Gesin malonon
  wuy tengtetwungsyeng
  ema-nim kothi kwoysil_i epseyla
  My father is my parent, too
  wuy tengtetwungsyeng
  But there is none to love me like my mother does.