Even a single word we use without a second thought holds hundreds of years of history. Wouldn’t our appreciation for the Korean language grow a little deeper if we learned when and in what form familiar words like “dokkaebi,” “samgyeopsal,” and “daebak” first came into use? To answer these questions, the National Institute of the Korean Language (Director Lee Gwan-kyu) launched the new *Dictionary of the History of Korean Vocabulary* on September 18.
This opening ceremony was held as part of the “2026 Everyone’s Corpus Expert Knowledge Lecture Series,” reflecting our hope that the evolution of the Korean language will extend beyond mere linguistic information to become content that reflects the social and cultural characteristics of each era.
Providing Reliable Information on the History of the Korean Language
Until now, information regarding the origins and evolution of Korean vocabulary has often remained at the level of academic theory, without being sufficiently verified by scholarly sources. Recognizing that a proper understanding of the Korean language requires objective and reliable evidence, the National Institute of the Korean Language began compiling the *Dictionary of the History of Korean Vocabulary* in 2023.
As a result, based on Hangul texts published from the 15th to the 20th century and the research achievements accumulated by the Korean linguistics community over the years, a dictionary containing historical information on 15,000 Korean vocabulary entries is being launched today. The dictionary will continue to be expanded, with plans to increase the number of headwords to 40,000 by 2031.
Our History and Culture Embodied in Words
The *Dictionary of the History of Korean Vocabulary* contains a wealth of fascinating information—including explanations of how vocabulary has evolved, along with examples from historical texts and various spellings used throughout history. It thoroughly covers not only changes in sound and form but also changes brought about by sociocultural factors over the past 600 years or so, and presents various perspectives on the etymology of words so that readers can compare them.
We’ve added an Old Korean input feature that allows even users unfamiliar with Old Korean to easily search using a standard computer keyboard. We’ve also introduced the “Vocabulary History at a Glance” feature, which lets users see the evolution of the Korean language at a glance.
“Goblin,” “Pork Belly,” “Huge Hit” — The Journey of the Korean Language
Dictionaries contain words with diverse histories, ranging from ancient terms that have been in use since the 15th century to relatively newer ones that only came into use in the 20th century; prime examples include “dokkaebi,” “samgyeopsal,” and “daebak.”
The term “dokkaebi” has been in use since the 15th century, evolving from “dotgabi” (15th century) > dotgapi > dotkebi > dokkaebi,” eventually taking its current form. Regarding its etymology, there is a view that it combines “dot,” meaning “ghost” as in “Du-eok-si-ni,” with “abi,” that the “dot” in “dotgapi” derives from the Chinese character “hwan” (幻), meaning “transformation” or “magic,” and that it originated from “dotgapda” (dotapda), meaning “to be very kind-hearted.”
The term “samgyeopsal” first appeared in newspapers in the 1950s. Interestingly, the term “segeopsal” had already been in use since the 1930s. The two terms coexisted and competed with each other until the 1970s, after which “samgyeopsal” became the predominant term.
The term “daebak,” a relatively recent addition to the Korean lexicon, first came into use in the early 1990s in the film and video industries to describe a box-office hit. It subsequently spread to other fields, such as publishing, and appears to have become a common part of everyday language. Regarding its etymology, various historical sources offer different theories: some suggest it derives from “bak,” a slang term used in gambling circles; others propose it comes from “daebak (大舶),” meaning “large ship”; and still others trace its origins to the folktale *The Tale of Hongbu*.
May our language serve as a bridge to the world
Lee Gwan-kyu, Director of the National Institute of the Korean Language, said, “I am deeply moved to launch the *Historical Dictionary of Korean Vocabulary*, which captures the history of the Korean language imbued with the lives and culture of our ancestors,” adding “I hope that the *Historical Dictionary of Korean Vocabulary* will not only deepen our understanding of the Korean language but also expand into diverse cultural content, serving as a catalyst for introducing Korean culture to the world,” he said.
[Department in Charge] National Institute of the Korean Language
[Head] Section Chief Lee Yong-eung (Language and Literature Research Section)
[Contact] Researcher Lee Hyung-ju
※ The website includes image materials such as the homepage of the *Dictionary of the History of Korean Vocabulary*, photos from the launch ceremony, search results for “dokkaebi,” and examples of historical spellings.
