Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Caesar1313]

Is there any actual definition of "Han"? Is it the Korean word for ethnic Koreans? Does it have any relation , maybe etymologically, to Han Chinese? Just curious if anyone knows.

[mises]

It is an extremely strong feeling of collective lament, suffering and loss. Or that's how it was typically explained to me.

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

That wiki article is about 恨.

The Han as in "Korea/Korean" is 韓

The "Chinese" Han is 漢

Three different Hans.

[retrogress]

This from www.baidu.com regarding the Chinese character "han" which is used in Hanguo (ch.) or Hanguk (kr.)

I have inserted brackets with Korean names as reference.

四、国名
4. Country names
　　大韩民国（朝鲜半岛政权）：又称�南韩�或�韩国�，是当前朝鲜半岛南部的一个国 家，历史上的大韩帝国也常简称韩国。

Da Han Min Guo [kr.Dae Han Min Guk!] (Chaoxian [kr. Chusun] penninsula regime): Also called Nan Han [South Korea] and Hanguo [kr. hanguk], is a kingdom in the former Chaoxian [kr. Chosun] dynasty. In the past Da Han Qin Guo [kr. Dae Han ?? Guk] was also called Hanguo [Kr., Hanguk]

　
http://baike.baidu.com/view/38333.htm

It would be interesting to test your Korean coworkers and see if they know the meaning/ origin of the Han in Dae Han Min Guk, duh duh da dum!

Most probably don't.

That said, since this is a Chinese source, i would expect Koreans to debate it, pulling a mystical rabbit out of a hat with regards to the origin of the word like they do everything else. For my part, I prefer to wage my bets with Chinese history, bent or bent by politics, it prooves itself to not be as bent as what koreans circulate amongst themselves as the great Han.

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

韓(韩) - means Korean, South Korea. It can also mean fence and is also a surname.

Whereas 漢 (汉) - means Chinese people, the Chinese language, the Han (Chinese) Dynasty, the Han river, man, and is also a surname. Interestingly, the Han river which runs through Seoul comes from 漢.

And 恨 - means grudge, resentment, hatred and dislike.

All spelt as 한 in Hangeul but with entirely different meanings when you view their Chinese character etymology.

[eIn07912]

well, according to a "The West Wing" from a couple of years ago, it means a great and unspeakable sadness.

but thats according to TV. and TV never lies, ha

[bixlerscott]

I understand Han 한 to mean, "high one," or, "great one," as in the Han-gang or Han River being the great big river. Hankuk, 한국, the real name of South Korea would mean something like, "great country." And then you have Hanbok which are clearly, "great clothes," compared to the white work clothes common people wore years ago which you rarely, if ever, see in white today. Usually you'll see commoner clothes in brown or purple sold in a 5 days market booth. The hanbok was elite ruling class wear like an expensive Armani suit today is for the CEO man.

[doggyji]

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

[Shiktang]

So whats the equivalent in western psychology, if there is one. Westerners don't have such a thing as collective grief. Communnities would go to the dogs if such a group mindset existed.

Jung might have said it was the equivalent of the collective subconscious of group of depressed people who were about to jump off a highrise building.

[riverboy]

Han:

http://www.comicgenius.com/DiscoFever/downloads/han_solo.jpg

[Konglishman]

Well, hanna means number one. So, maybe han means best or great like someone else mentioned.

[pkang0202]

[8minutepopsong]

JEWS