Koryo-mar
Encyclopedia
Koryo-mar, Goryeomal or Koryŏmal (Hangul
: 고려말; ; Standard Korean
: 중앙아시아 한국어, literally Central Asia
n Korean language) is the dialect of the Korean language spoken by the Koryo-saram
, ethnic Koreans in the former USSR
. It is descended from the Hamgyŏng dialect
. Koryo-saram often report difficulty understanding speakers of standard Korean; this may be compounded by the fact that the majority of Koryo-saram today use Russian
and not Korean as their mother tongue.
, while after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
, both Northern and Southern forms could be seen. However, some modern writers, most notably Lavrenti Son
, have created plays and short stories in Koryo-mar, written using the Hangul
alphabet.
There was a movement for the latinization
of Koryo-mar in the late 1930s, promoted by various government officials and linguists, but it did not have much success.
in any schools. The Korean language as taught in universities of the former USSR is that of North or South Korea, with instructors being native to or trained in one of those countries. In one instance, a South Korean professor tried to teach Koryo-mar at Almaty State University, but he did not achieve much success.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 고려말; ; Standard Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
: 중앙아시아 한국어, literally Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n Korean language) is the dialect of the Korean language spoken by the Koryo-saram
Koryo-saram
Koryo-saram is the name which ethnic Koreans in the post-Soviet states use to refer to themselves. Approximately 500,000 ethnic Koreans reside in the former Soviet Union, primarily in the now-independent states of Central Asia. There are also large Korean communities in southern Russia , the...
, ethnic Koreans in the former USSR
Post-Soviet states
The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as the Former Soviet Union or former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent states that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its dissolution in December 1991...
. It is descended from the Hamgyŏng dialect
Hamgyong dialect
Hamgyŏng dialect is a dialect of the Korean language used in the North Hamgyŏng, South Hamgyŏng, and Ryanggang Provinces of North Korea, as well as the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of northeast China...
. Koryo-saram often report difficulty understanding speakers of standard Korean; this may be compounded by the fact that the majority of Koryo-saram today use Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and not Korean as their mother tongue.
Orthography
Koryo-mar is generally not a literary language; written Korean during Soviet days tended to follow the North Korean standardKorean language North-South differences
There are a small number of differences in the standard forms of the Korean language used in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea , due to the length of time Korea has been divided.-Overview:Korean orthography, as defined by the Korean Language Society in 1933 in the...
, while after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, both Northern and Southern forms could be seen. However, some modern writers, most notably Lavrenti Son
Lavrenti Son
Lavrenti Dyadyunovich Son is a Koryo-saram playwright, author of short stories, and founder of Song Cinema, a documentary company producing movies about the minority ethnicities of the former USSR. His play Memory , about the deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union, is one of the few plays to...
, have created plays and short stories in Koryo-mar, written using the Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
alphabet.
There was a movement for the latinization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
of Koryo-mar in the late 1930s, promoted by various government officials and linguists, but it did not have much success.
Pedagogy
Koryo-mar is not taught as a subject or used as the medium of instructionMedium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...
in any schools. The Korean language as taught in universities of the former USSR is that of North or South Korea, with instructors being native to or trained in one of those countries. In one instance, a South Korean professor tried to teach Koryo-mar at Almaty State University, but he did not achieve much success.
See also
- Kontsevich systemKontsevich systemThe Kontsevich system for the Cyrillization of the Korean language was created by the Russian scholar Lev Kontsevitch on the basis of the earlier system designed by Aleksandr Kholodovich...
of Romanization - Dungan languageDungan languageThe Dungan language is a Sinitic language spoken by the Dungan of Central Asia, an ethnic group related to the Hui people of China.-History:...
, the Mandarin Chinese-descended language spoken by Hui peopleHui peopleThe Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
s in Central Asia - Korean dialectsKorean dialectsA number of different Korean dialects are spoken in the Korean peninsula. The peninsula is extremely mountainous, and each dialect's "territory" corresponds closely to the natural boundaries between different geographical regions...