구슬

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103, as Late Old Korean 區戌 (Yale: *kwùsúl). In the Hangul script, first attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 구슬〮 (Yale: kwùsúl).

Related to, and possibly a suffixed form of, an element found in two ancient place name glosses from the Samguk Sagi: pseudo-Goguryeo 古斯 (*kwos(V)), apparently meaning “jade; precious stone”, and Baekje 丘斯 (*kwus(V)), apparently meaning “something precious”. The latter is also transcribed as 仇叱 (*kwus). Both place names are from southern Korea.

Compared to Common Turkic *qāš (“jade”). Japanese 釧(くしろ) (kushiro, “ancient ceremonial bracelet”) may be an ancient borrowing from Korean.

Pronunciation
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?guseul
Revised Romanization (translit.)?guseul
McCune–Reischauer?kusŭl
Yale Romanization?kwusul
  • South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 구슬의 / 구슬에 / 구슬까지

    Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the first syllable, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

Noun

구슬 • (guseul)

  1. marble (small ball used in games)
    구슬을 굴리다 ― guseur-eul gullida ― to roll marbles
  2. glass bead, pearl, precious gem

Derived terms
  • 구슬치기 (guseulchigi)
  • 수정구슬 (sujeongguseul)
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