Min-eo

Min-eo is the main language of Gyerim, spoken by most of the humanoid residents of the world. Enough time has passed that this language has begun to diverge into several very distinct dialects of varying levels of mutual intelligibility, but not quite long enough to have developed into independent languages. Initially, this article will be focusing on the dialect spoken in the Southwest, especially around the Kingdom of Baekhae
Words in Min-eo are often built around small component pieces that are built on one another to create more complex compound words, so the creation of new words is actually quite easy and can quickly lead to diverging vocabularies.

Idioms

Leaving the Shinseung

is commonly used to refer to making a large change to one’s life or making a decision with unsure consequences, comparing it to leaving the safe boundaries of one’s birth community.

…a Paseok pair

is an idiom with multiple meanings in Baekhae. When referring to a group of friends or partners, the speaker is suggesting that the they would stay loyal to one another forever. This is alluding to the tendency for reproductively active pairs of paseok to stay together for life. This terminology is normally used among older folk and in literature. However, recently among younger folk, it has developed into a double-coded euphemism. When the term is used to refer to a pair or group of friends, it means that the speaker is suggesting that they are or should become sexually active together outside of a traditional partnership or marriage. In this second meaning, the term can be a statement of fact or congratulation, a statement of suggestion, or an aspersion depending on context. It can also be waved off as intending the first definition for people outside the intended audience. This is an allusion to the fact that paseok will engage in non-reproductive mating with other members of their herd in times of stress, especially between paired females and her female herd-mates following mating season.

Vocabulary

min

People (normally a group)

song

to complete, finish, transform

mo

wood; wooden; tree

eo¹

language

eo²

food from the sea

jo

grass

Hae

Ocean or sea

Shin

Spirit or god

seon

Spirit (more generalized than "shin")

baek

White

yeong

Path

un

Vehicle

seok

Reptile

pa

to crawl or climb

seung¹

Totem; item made to be inhabited by a spirit

seung²

victory; to be first

jik

fabric; textile

bi

rain, mist, droplets

ho

arc; a circle

go

old; ancient; classic

rim

Forest; grove

ga

family

ok¹

house; generic building; shelter

ok²

gem; precious stone

gaeng

pit; hole

ji

land

gan

dry; arid; quick-tempered

si

town

jae

manufacture; to produce

jak

to create; (compose, work, write, act)

chae

sacrifice; worship

sa

leader; officer

ju

lord; master

gong

fair; equal; public

ui

formal; to admire; righteousness

yeo/-ryeo

rites/ritual; custom

wang

royal

jwa

seat; base

beop

law; canon; documentation; classic/scripture

pung

plentiful

gu

entrance; open

ip

to join; to come in

gae

begin

tak

open up; expand; push

jeon¹

temple; palace; sacred enclosure

jeon²

right; proper; correct

hang

port; harbor; bay

won

far; remote; extreme

so

lax; careless; neglect

hak

knowledge; to learn

sik

to recognize; to understand; system/formula

ja

one who/thing that (does something)

myeon

to urge; to make an effort

geun

attentive; industrious

ro

manual labor

ru

tall building; tower

pi

tired; exhaustion

gon

difficult; to surround; besiege

wi

to calm; console; comfort

an

peaceful; quiet

bu

protect; defend; care for

gwa

fruit; result

mang

to hope; anticipate; expect

gwan

pipe; tube

shim

heart; intelligence; mind; soul

hyeol

blood

ri

logic; reason; manage (for someone else)

dae

replace; come after

gap

value

pyeong

flat; even; uneventful

bul

not; negative

bang

region; regional/local; area; square

hyeong

measure; consider; judge

a

elegant; refined; graceful

u

superior; excellent

bae

insincere;

yeon

put on; display; perform

dan

performance space; examination hall; arena

--bal::quickly; to pour; to act violently

hwal

to live; survive; exist

shil

honest; real; solid; true

hwa¹

change; reform;

hwa²

flower; youth

sang

common; normal; frequent

ship

practice

hyeon

observe

nyeon

year; age

ryu

flow; drift; circulate

tong

sad; bitter; pain; sorry

jeung

disease; ailment; illness

geol

to pine; thirst; crave

yeol

hot; fire; restless; zeal

jeong

emotion; essence; feeling

chi

govern; regulate; to rule

myeong

luck; fate; order/instruction

ryeong

to command; allow; cause

no

anger; rage; frustration; passion

bun

small group; divide

hong

red/scarlet; to blush

su

water

sang

top; upper; reward; appreciate

yuk

produce; give birth; educate

chwi

most; extreme; exceedingly

tae

great; big

Root Languages

• Go-eo