Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Miles Rationis]

[Miles Rationis]

[Omkara]

[Omkara]

[Omkara]

[Justin Hale]

[Dome Vans]

As posted in a prev. thread, JH.

Ajumma's are known in Korea as the 'third gender'. Neither man nor woman, they are the Ajumma!!

[tomato]

The heptasyllable, or series of seven syllables, seems to be shared between the Korean and English languages.

Here is a song which is well-known among Korean children:



The words mean:

Lily, lily, forsythia,
Pinch off a petal.
A group of chicks is walking fast,
We are going on a spring walk.

Also, here is a well-known rhyme:

코카콜라 맛있다 (Coca-Cola is delicious.)
맛있으면 또 먹어 (If it is delicious, you drink too much.)
또 먹으면 배탈 나 (If you drink too much, you get a stomachache.)
배탈 나면 병원 가 (If you get a stomachache, you go to the hospital.)
병원 가면 주사 놔 (If you go to the hospital, you get a shot.)

This is a choosing rhyme, like "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo," which, speak of the Devil, is also in the heptasyllable rhythm.

In the English language, numerous children's rhymes are heptasyllabic:

Engine, engine, number nine,
Going down Chicago line.
If the train runs off the track,
Do you want your money back?

I went up the apple tree,
All the apples fell on me.
Apples, peaches, pudding, pie,
Would you ever tell a lie?

What you say is what you are,
You're a naked movie star.

For more examples, see Cinderella Dressed in Yella by Ian Turner.

The "Little Willie" poems are also set in this meter.

Willie, with a thirst for gore,
Nailed his sister to the door.
Mother said, with humor quaint,
"Willie dear, don't mar the paint."

Willie and two other brats
Ate up all the Rough-on-Rats.
Father said, while Mother cried,
"Never mind, they'll die outside."

Willie, in a fit insane,
Thrust his head beneath a train.
All the folks were pleased to find
How it broadened Willie's mind.

For more examples, see Little Willie by Dorothy Rickard.

[mrgiles]

tomato,

interesting previous post. looking at ur examples, i see the same 4 and 3 syllable blocks that structure a lot of korean poetry. both poetry and songs have a relation to speech, but i don't think it's necessarily a completely simple, direct one.

[Privateer]

[Omkara]

[mrgiles]

yeah i'm not that much of a linguist, so i'm not sure if i apply the terms completely accurately, but i think i'd shy away from calling the kind of speech pattern that occurs in korean stress (tho it often stresses me out trying to speak it without sounding stupid). i think u're on the right track with intonation, it seems to be more of a lengthening of the syllable just before the caesura (i like ur thoughts on why this occurs, re length of words). it also seems to my uncertain ear that sometimes the aspirated consonants are released with extra-special gusto to denote emphasis (particularly at the start of one of these syllabic blocks). perhaps this is a kind of stressing?

[mithridates]

Here's a video of a girl reading some poetry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTm4_MaIvVk

[Cheonmunka]

엄머니께 것은
가만히 옮기시던
그 발걸음 .. 하나


I quite like it, when listening carefully for the words, because the words have the meaning. The sound, it's kind of gutteral without the 'f's and esses and soft c's of English. The ocarina thing makes it nice. And, sweet when tongue touches peachy lips.

Tried to get a bit of meaning:

엄머니께 것은
가만히 옮기시던
그 발걸음 .. 하나
나는 지금도 바람으로 그릴수가 있겠음니다
그러나 아무리 [애고도?] 한까지만은
그러나 아무리 [문벌이처도?] 그것만은
내가 그리지도 못 하고 말도 못합니다
강이 한으로 [하나로?] 편하게
둘번 한이 강으로 편하게 둘번
그리고 더 많이 흐르는 세월이
가로 세로 [바로?]
엄어니 네 말이
어둠 [포?] 하품저럼 살아
(Odum Po Hapum Chorom- sounds like a drum...?)

Sounds a bit like my life, yeah, hani mana.

[philipjames]

Here's how much I despise my co-teacher's voice. In all likelihood I will not sign on for a second year with my current school. My only real grievance is her voice. I'm willing to go through all the turmoil of quitting and finding a new job, apt. etc. just to escape it.

I wish she had a mute button. It's like I'm watching a Western program on tv and then it goes to a Korean commercial I instantly leap for the remote to press 'mute'. Why do they need to be so fucking loud?