늑대

Korean

Etymology

Uncertain. First attested as Early Modern Korean 늑대 (nuktay) in the Gukhanhoeeo (國韓會語 / 국한회어), 坤:65, 1896, then subsequently as Early Modern Korean 늑ᄃᆡ (nuktoy), e.g. in in the Maeilsinmun (매일신문), 23 August, 1898. Any further investigation, either via attested forms or via morphological analysis, is difficult, even though the prevalence of this word across dialects suggests it must have been in use long before the very late 19th century.

Vovin suggests that this word may be an early loan from some Proto-Nivkh *likVt'V. Compare Nivkh лиғс (liγs) (Amur), лиғр̌ (liγř) (East Sakhalin).^[1]

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [nɯk̚t͈ɛ] ~ [nɯk̚t͈e̞]
Phonetic hangul: [늑때/늑떼]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	neukdae
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	neugdae
McCune–Reischauer^?	nŭktae
Yale Romanization^?	nuktay

Noun

늑대 • (neukdae)

wolf, wolves
Synonym: 이리 (iri)

늑대 떼 ― neukdae tte ― a pack of wolves

Derived terms

갈기늑대 (galgineukdae, “maned wolf”)
늑대거북 (neukdaegeobuk, “snapping turtle”)
늑대별 (Neukdaebyeol, “Sirius”)
늑대인간(人間) (neukdaein'gan, “werewolf; lycanthropy”)
땅늑대 (ttangneukdae, “aardwolf”)
아프리카황금늑대 (apeurikahwanggeumneukdae, “African golden wolf”)
일본늑대 (日本--, ilbonneukdae, “Japanese wolf”)

Descendants

→ Japanese: ヌクテ (nukute)

References

^ Vovin, Alexander (2003) “Etymological Notes on Some Paleosiberian and Tungusic Loanwords in Korean”, in Proceedings of the Center for Korean Language and Culture‎^[1], numbers 5—6, St. Petersburg, Russia, pages 57—60

[1] Vovin, Alexander (2003) “Etymological Notes on Some Paleosiberian and Tungusic Loanwords in Korean”, in Proceedings of the Center for Korean Language and Culture‎^[1], numbers 5—6, St. Petersburg, Russia, pages 57—60

[1]