Nogŏltae
Template:Short description Template:Italic title Template:Infobox Chinese The Nogŏltae ('Old Cathayan') is a textbook of colloquial northern Chinese published in Korea in several editions from the 14th to 18th centuries. The book is an important source on both Late Middle Korean and the history of Mandarin Chinese. Later editions were translated into Manchu and Mongolian.
Contents
The word Template:Tlit (Korean Template:Tlit; Old Mandarin KhitaTemplate:Sfnp) of the title, like the term Cathay, is a transcription of the Mongolian form of Khitan, a people who ruled northern China as the Liao dynasty (907–1125).Template:Sfnp It became a common name throughout Asia for China and all things Chinese.Template:Sfnp Here it means 'Chinese'.Template:Sfnp The word Template:Tlit (Template:Lang, Korean Template:Tlit, literally 'old') had been used as a prefix indicating familiarity (as in modern Standard Chinese) since at least the Tang period.Template:Sfnp
The book mainly consists of dialogs centered on a journey of a Korean merchant to Beijing, and the Chinese travelers who join him on the way. It opens with the following lines:Template:Sfnp
| 大哥你從那裏來 | "Elder brother, where do you come from?" |
| 我從高麗王京來 | "I come from Wangjing in Korea."Template:Efn |
| 如今那裏去 | "Where are you going presently?" |
| 我往北京去 | "I am going to Beijing."Template:Efn |
After arriving in Beijing, they sell Korean commodities and purchase goods to sell back in Korea. The book concludes with the Korean merchant's departure from Beijing.Template:Sfnp
The book focuses on language used in travel, business, banquets, and medicine.Template:Sfnp It also contains unique insights into life in Beijing, including the first instance of the word hutong (alley).Template:Sfnp
Later editions are accompanied by Korean-language annotation (諺解 Template:Tlit) interleaved with the text.Template:Sfnp Below each Chinese character are written two transcriptions in Hangul: a "left reading" taken from the "popular readings" in Sin Sukchu's 1455 dictionary, and a "right reading" reflecting contemporary pronunciation. Each Chinese sentence is followed by a colloquial Korean translation, also written in Hangul.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp
Editions
Five editions of the book exist, as it was revised over the centuries to follow changes in the northern Chinese vernacular and the Korean language.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp
The original Chinese edition seems have been written around the middle of the 14th century.Template:Sfnp The Nogŏltae and a similar text, Pak t'ongsa ("Pak the interpreter"), were very popular, and are mentioned in Korean records of 1426 as required texts for government translators.Template:Sfnp An early 15th century copy discovered in Daegu in 1998 is believed to be close to the original version.Template:Sfnp It includes valuable information on the colloquial Old Mandarin of the Yuan dynasty, called "Han'er speech" (Template:Lang) in this book.Template:Sfnp
In 1480, the royal instructor ordered revisions of both textbooks to match the very different Middle Mandarin of the Ming dynasty.Template:Sfnp A Korean scholar, Ch'oe Sejin, wrote a guidebook based on this edition in 1507–17.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp This edition is now conventionally called the Pŏnyŏk Nogŏltae (Template:Lang "New Translation of the 'Old Cathayan'") to distinguish it from the original.Template:Sfnp The Korean versions of the dialogs are written in a colloquial style, giving unique insight into Late Middle Korean.Template:Sfnp
A third edition, the Nogŏltae ŏnhae, was published in 1670 by the Bureau of Interpreters.Template:Sfnp It has the same Chinese text as the Pŏnyŏk Nogŏltae, but the right readings and translations were updated to contemporary Korean.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp
During the Qing dynasty, the Chinese text was revised again as the Nogŏltae sinsŏk (Template:Lang "New edition of the 'Old Cathayan'"), which was published in 1761.Template:Sfnp The revision is attributed to one Byeon Hon, who went to Beijing in 1760 with the official delegation. Among the revisions are changing the Chinese name of Korea from Template:Tlit (Template:Lang; Korean Template:Tlit) to Template:Tlit (Template:Lang; Korean Template:Tlit).Template:Sfnp A corresponding revised commentary, the Nogŏltae sinsŏk ŏnhae, was published in 1763 but is no longer extant.Template:Sfnp
The Chunggan Nogŏltae (Template:Lang "Reprinted 'Old Cathayan'") appeared in 1795, with a corresponding commentary Chunggan Nogŏltae ŏnhae. Its Chinese text is less colloquial than the earlier versions.Template:Sfnp
Translations
Translations of the Nogŏltae into other languages were also published by the Bureau of Interpreters. The Ch'ŏngŏ Nogŏltae (淸語老乞大 "Manchu 'Old Cathayan'") includes Manchu text along with Hangul pronunciation and Korean translations. It was written by Choe Hutaek (Template:Lang) and others and published in 1704 and revised in 1765. Yi Ch'oedae (Template:Korean) made a Mongolian edition called the Mongŏ Nogŏltae (蒙語老乞大 "Mongolian 'Old Cathayan'") that was published in 1741 and revised in 1766 and 1790.Template:Sfnp A textbook list included in an edict of 1669 mentions a Japanese translation, but it is no longer extant.Template:Sfnp
See also
Notes
References
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Further reading
External links
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- Joseon dynasty texts at the Academy of Korean Studies, including Pŏnyŏk Nogŏltae, Nogŏltae ŏnhae, Ch'ŏngŏ Nogŏltae, Mongŏ Nogŏltae and Chunggan Nogŏltae.
- Texts at the Internet Archive:
- Text based on the Nogŏltae ŏnhae