곰

곰 U+ACF0, 곰 HANGUL SYLLABLE GOM Composition: ㄱ + ㅗ + ㅁ ← 곯 [U+ACEF] Hangul Syllables 곱 → [U+ACF1]

고곡곢곣곤곥곦 곧골곩곪곫곬곭 곮곯곰곱곲곳곴 공곶곷곸곹곺곻
계 ←	→ 과

Korean

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ko̞(ː)m]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [곰(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gom
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gom
McCune–Reischauer?	kom
Yale Romanization?	kōm

Etymology 1

곰 (gom, “bear”)

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 곰〯 (Yale: kwǒm), from earlier *고마〮 (Yale: *kwòmá), which survived into Middle Korean in the place name 고마〮ᄂᆞᄅᆞ (Yale: Kwòmánòlò). Related to Baekje 金馬 (*kəma/*kuma, “bear”) and possibly Japanese 熊(くま) (kuma, “bear”).

Beyond Koreanic and Japanese, perhaps a regional Wanderwort also related to Old Chinese 熊 (OC *ɢʷlɯm).

Noun

곰 • (gom)

1. bear (animal)

   곰처럼 미련하다 ― gomcheoreom miryeonhada ― to be stupid like a bear

2. (figurative, derogatory) a thick, dull fellow

   Synonym: 곰탱이 (gomtaeng'i)

Derived terms

• 곰개미 (gomgaemi, “Formica japonica”)
• 곰덫 (gomdeot, “bear trap”)
• 곰솔 (gomsol, “black pine (Pinus thunbergii etc.)”)
• 곰쥐 (gomjwi, “black rat”)
• 말레이곰 (malleigom, “sun bear”)
• 반달가슴곰 (bandalgaseumgom, “Asiatic black bear”)
• 북극곰 (bukgeukgom, “polar bear”)
• 불곰 (bulgom, “brown bear”)
• 안경곰 (an'gyeonggom, “spectacled bear”)
• 회색곰 (hoesaekgom, “grizzly bear”)
• 흑곰 (heukgom, “black bear”)
• 흰곰 (huin'gom, “polar bear”)

 

See also

• 熊 (ung), the hanja for bears

Etymology 2

고 (go-, “to simmer slowly”) +‎ ㅁ (-m, nominalizing suffix).

Noun

곰 • (gom)

1. verbal noun of 고다 (goda, “to simmer slowly”)
2. (rare) Short for 곰탕 (gomtang, “slow-simmered beef soup”).