돈

돈 U+B3C8, 돈 HANGUL SYLLABLE DON Composition: ㄷ + ㅗ + ㄴ ← 돇 [U+B3C7] Hangul Syllables 돉 → [U+B3C9]

도독돆돇돈돉돊 돋돌돍돎돏돐돑 돒돓돔돕돖돗돘 동돚돛돜돝돞돟
뎨 ←	→ 돠

Korean

Etymology

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

The etymology beyond Middle Korean is unknown. Native etymologies have been hypothesized, such as an 隱 (*-n) nominalization from 되다 (doeda, “to measure in containers”). Others have speculated a pre-Sino-Korean or nativised Chinese etymon, perhaps from a phrase involving 刀 (OC *taːw, “knife”) such as 刀銀 (OC *taːw ŋrɯn, “knife silver”), Chinese knife money being the first form of coinage in Korea, or alternately from 錢 (OC *ʔslenʔ, *zlen, “money”).

There is a pervasive but spurious folk etymology connecting it to 돌— (dol-, “to spin around, to circulate”), hence "that which is circulated".

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [to̞(ː)n]
• Phonetic hangul: [돈(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	don
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	don
McCune–Reischauer?	ton
Yale Romanization?	tōn

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 돈의 / 돈에 / 돈까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

Noun

돈 • (don)

1. money

   그 여자는 돈 많은 영화 배우이다.

   Geu yeoja-neun don maneun yeonghwa bae'u-ida.

   She is a film star with a lot of money.

   돈을 안 쓰고 절약하기만 하면 사회에 돈이 안 돌아 혈관에 피가 막히듯이 경제가 죽고 만다.

   Don-eul an sseugo jeoryakhagi-man hamyeon sahoe-e don-i an dora hyeolgwan-e pi-ga makhi-deusi gyeongje-ga jukgo manda.

   If you only save money without spending it, the economy will die like stuck blood in your veins.

2. (units of measure) a don, a Korean unit of weight equivalent to about 4 g

   그 반지는 3돈 정도 한다. ― Geu banji-neun sedon jeongdo handa. ― The gold ring weighs about three don.

Derived terms

• 돈궤(櫃) (don'gwe, “cash box”)
• 돈놀이 (donnori, “money-lending”)
• 돈독(毒) (dondok, “crave for money”)
• 돈맛 (donmat, “taste, love of money”)
• 돈벌이 (donbeori, “money-making”)
• 돈벼락 (donbyeorak, “sudden wealth”)
• 돈복(福) (donbok, “luck in making money”)
• 돈주머니 (donjumeoni, “purse, money bag”)
• 돈줄 (donjul, “source of financial support”)
• 돈지갑(紙匣) (donjigap, “purse”)
• 돈푼 (donpun, “little money”)
• 목돈 (mokdon, “round sum of money”)
• 용(用)돈 (yongdon, “pocket money”)
• 웃돈 (utdon, “premium”)
• 잔돈 (jandon, “change, small money”)

 

See also

• 錢 (jeon), 貨 (hwa), 金 (geum) (hanja used to form compounds related with money)

References

• Han'gukhak nonjip‎^[1], volume 20, 1993, page 68−77