This photo is captured from the website of the Oxford English Dictionary. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — The Oxford English Dictionary has added seven new words from Korean culture, including “dalgona” and “hyung,” in its latest update.
The December update, announced Tuesday, incorporated “noraebang,” “maknae,” “jjigae,” “tteokbokki” and “pansori” into the dictionary.
It marks the first significant addition of Korean-origin words since September 2021, when 26 words, including “K-drama,” “hallyu,” “mukbang” and “daebak” were added.
The seven new entries reflect the growing global influence of Korean culture, particularly in English-speaking countries. Many are associated with K-culture, which has gained immense popularity worldwide.
“Dalgona” is described as “a Korean confection made by adding baking soda to melted sugar, typically sold by street vendors in the form of a flat disc with a simple shape, such as a heart or star, carved on its surface.” The term gained international recognition following the Netflix series “Squid Game.”
“Maknae” is defined as “the youngest person in a family or group; (now) spec. the youngest member of a K-pop group.”
“Tteokbokki” is explained as “a Korean dish consisting of small, cylindrical rice cakes cooked in a spicy sauce made with gochujang, usually served as a snack (often as street food).”
Jieun Kiaer, a professor of Korean linguistics at the University of Oxford’s Asian and Middle Eastern Studies who serves as the Korean language consultant for the dictionary, told Yonhap News Agency that words frequently used and discussed in English-speaking countries, with textual evidence, are included in the dictionary.
The inclusion of the words reflects the global spread of Korean culture, particularly through popular media and cuisine, she explained.
She anticipates a steady increase in Korean-related words in the dictionary, adding that words like “haenyeo” (female divers), “ajumma” (middle-aged woman) and “bingsu” (shaved ice dessert) are being considered for future updates.
“Korean-related words will be updated annually from now on,” she said. “Korean food terms are expected to continue being added to the dictionary.”
(Yonhap)
