위

위 U+C704, 위 HANGUL SYLLABLE WI Composition: ㅇ + ㅟ ← 윃 [U+C703] Hangul Syllables 윅 → [U+C705]

위윅윆윇윈윉윊 윋윌윍윎윏윐윑 윒윓윔윕윖윗윘 윙윚윛윜윝윞윟
웨 ←	→ 유

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 웋 (wùh), from Old Korean 上只 (*WUk). Cognate with Jeju 우 (u).

In the hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 웋 (Yale: wùh).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
• Phonetic hangul: [위]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wi
McCune–Reischauer?	wi
Yale Romanization?	wi

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 위의 / 위에 / 위까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word takes low pitch only before consonant-initial multisyllabic suffixes.

Noun

South Korean Standard Language	위 (wi)
North Korean Standard Language	우 (u)

위 • (wi)

1. above, upper, upside, top

   Antonym: 아래 (arae)

   위까지 ― wi-kkaji ― to the top

   위로 ― wi-ro ― toward the top

   위부터 ― wi-buteo ― from the top

   위에 ― wi-e ― on the top

   저는 종이 위에 사자를 그리고 있습니다. ― Jeoneun jong'i wie sajareul geurigo itseumnida. ― I am painting a lion on a paper.

Derived terms

• 물위 (murwi)
• 손위 (sonwi)
• 아래위 (araewi)
• 위아래 (wiarae)
• 위쪽 (wijjok)
• 위층 (wicheung)
• 위턱 (witeok)
• 위팔 (wipal)
• 윗 (wit)

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 胃.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
• Phonetic hangul: [위]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wi
McCune–Reischauer?	wi
Yale Romanization?	wi

Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 胃)

1. stomach

   Synonym: 위장(胃臟) (wijang)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 胃 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (胃, wi).

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 位.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
• Phonetic hangul: [위]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wi
McCune–Reischauer?	wi
Yale Romanization?	wi

Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 位)

1. status, position

   Synonym: 지위(地位) (jiwi)

Counter

위 • (wi) (hanja 位)

1. rank, place

   Synonym: 등(等) (deung)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 位 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (位, wi).

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 緯.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
• Phonetic hangul: [위]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wi
McCune–Reischauer?	wi
Yale Romanization?	wi

Noun

위 • (wi) (hanja 緯)

1. (geography) short for 위도(緯度) (wido, “latitude”)

   Antonym: 경(經) (gyeong, “longitude”)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 緯 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (緯, wi).

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 委.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɥi] ~ [y]
• Phonetic hangul: [위]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	wi
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	wi
McCune–Reischauer?	wi
Yale Romanization?	wi

Suffix

—위 • (-wi) (hanja 委)

1. short for 위원회(委員會) (wiwonhoe, “committee”)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 委 for Sino-Korean compounds of 위 (委, wi).

Etymology 6

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

위 • (wi)

More information

1. 位:

   (MC reading: 位 (MC hwijH))

2. 倭:

   (MC reading: 倭 (MC 'jwe))

3. 偉:

   (MC reading: 偉 (MC hjw+jX))

4. 偽:

   (MC reading: 偽 (MC ngjweH))

5. 僞:

   (MC reading: 僞 (MC ngjweH))

6. 危:

   (MC reading: 危 (MC ngjwe))

7. 厃:

   (MC reading: 厃 (MC tsyem))

8. 叞:

   (MC reading: 叞)

9. 喟:

   (MC reading: 喟 (MC khwijH|khweajH))

10. 噅:

    (MC reading: 噅 (MC xjwe))

11. 噕:

    (MC reading: 噕)

12. 囗:

    (MC reading: 囗 (MC hjw+j))

13. 囲:

    (MC reading: 囲)

14. 圍:

    (MC reading: 圍 (MC hjw+j|hjw+jH))

15. 委:

    (MC reading: 委 (MC 'jwe|'jweX))

16. 威:

    (MC reading: 威 (MC 'jw+j))

17. 幃:

    (MC reading: 幃 (MC hjw+j))

18. 慰:

    (MC reading: 慰 (MC 'jw+jH))

19. 暐:

    (MC reading: 暐 (MC hjw+jX))

20. 渭:

    (MC reading: 渭 (MC hjw+jH))

21. 為:

    (MC reading: 為 (MC hjwe|hjweH))

22. 煒:

    (MC reading: 煒 (MC hjw+jX))

23. 熨:

    (MC reading: 熨 (MC 'jw+jH|'jut))

24. 爲:

    (MC reading: 爲 (MC hjwe|hjweH))

25. 瑋:

    (MC reading: 瑋 (MC hjw+jX))

26. 痿:

    (MC reading: 痿 (MC 'jwe|nywe))

27. 緯:

    (MC reading: 緯 (MC hjw+jH))

28. 胃:

    (MC reading: 胃 (MC hjw+jH))

29. 萎:

    (MC reading: 萎 (MC 'jwe|'jweH))

30. 葦:

    (MC reading: 葦 (MC hjw+jX))

31. 葳:

    (MC reading: 葳 (MC 'jw+j))

32. 蒍:

    (MC reading: 蒍 (MC hjweX))

33. 蔚:

    (MC reading: 蔚 (MC 'jw+jH|'jut))

34. 蔿:

    (MC reading: 蔿)

35. 蝟:

    (MC reading: 蝟 (MC hjw+jH))

36. 衛:

    (MC reading: 衛 (MC hjwejH))

37. 衞:

    (MC reading: 衞 (MC hjwejH))

38. 袆:

    (MC reading: 袆)

39. 褘:

    (MC reading: 褘 (MC xjw+j))

40. 諉:

    (MC reading: 諉 (MC nrjweH))

41. 謂:

    (MC reading: 謂 (MC hjw+jH))

42. 逶:

    (MC reading: 逶 (MC 'jwe))

43. 違:

    (MC reading: 違 (MC hjw+j))

44. 闈:

    (MC reading: 闈 (MC hjw+j))

45. 韋:

    (MC reading: 韋 (MC hjw+j))

46. 韙:

    (MC reading: 韙 (MC hjw+jX))

47. 韡:

    (MC reading: 韡 (MC hjw+jX))

48. 餧:

    (MC reading: 餧 (MC nwojX|'jweH))

49. 魏:

    (MC reading: 魏 (MC ngjw+jH))

Middle Korean

Etymology

Probably imitative. Compare English oi, Japanese おい (oi).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǔj/

Interjection

위 (wǔy) (Idu script 爲 or 偉)

1. An interjection which appears in certain poems.
   • 1330, 안축/安軸 [An Chuk], 關東別曲/관동별곡 [Gwandong byeolgok, Song of the Lands East of the Pass]:

     爲(위〯) 四(ᄉᆞ〯)海(ᄒᆡ〯) 天(텬)下(하〯) 無(업〯)豆(두〮)舍叱(샷)多(다〮)

     WǓY SǑ.HǑY THYÈN.HǍ ĚP.TWÚ.SYÀS.TÁ

     O, it does not exist [anywhere else] between the four seas under Heaven!

   • 16th century [14th century?], “[思母曲/사모곡] [Jeongseok-ga]”, in 樂章歌詞/악장가사 [Akjang gasa]:

     아바님도 어이어신 마ᄅᆞᄂᆞᆫ
     위 덩더둥셩
     어마님 ᄀᆞ티 괴시리 업세라

     apa-nim-two ei-Gesin malonon
     wuy tengtetwungsyeng
     ema-nim kothi kwoysil_i epseyla

     My father is my parent, too
     wuy tengtetwungsyeng
     But there is none to love me like my mother does.