낳다

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 나타〮 (Yale: nàthá).

Originally probably a contraction of Middle Korean 나〮 (Yale: ná-, “to be born, to come out”) + ᄒᆞ다〮 (Yale: hòtá, “to do”), but never today perceived as such, even though both components still exist in Korean.^[1]

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [na̠tʰa̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [나타]

낳다 • (nata) (infinitive 낳아, sequential 낳으니) (transitive)

1. (of a female) to lay, to give birth to; (of a male) to sire

   아기를 낳다 ― agi-reul nata ― to give birth to a baby

   연어는 알을 낳기 위해 강을 거슬러 올라간다.

   Yeoneo-neun ar-eul naki wihae gang-eul geoseulleo olla-ganda.

   The salmon swims upstream to lay eggs.

2. (figurative) to engender, to bring about, to spawn

   헌신과 노력이 낳은 결과

   heonsin-gwa noryeog-i na'eun gyeolgwa

   the result brought about by dedication and effort

• 나다 (nada, “to be born”)
• 놓다 (nota, “to lay, put, let go”)

낳다 (nahta)

1. Phonemically faithful spelling of 나타 (natha, “to give birth to”) (rarely or never used in actual Middle Korean)