[KS] Re: Romanization

[Tae Yang Kwak]

On a related note, about the spelling of Seoul.  Now I always thought it
was Seo-ul, with the 'eo' representing the 'O' vowel sound.  But I am told
that Seoul is actually a French transcription and not English.  It's
actually Se-oul, with the 'e' representing 'O', and 'ou' representing 'u'.
That's why some late-nineteenth cent. (pre-colonial era) English texts use
Chosen.  Although at first glance it looks like transcription of Japanese
and not Korean, it's that French 'e' = 'O'.

All trivia I suppose.
taeyang
_____________________________________
Tae Yang Kwak <tkwak at fas.harvard.edu>
02-3277-5821

On Thu, 6 Jul 2000, Brother Anthony wrote:

> I find it very hard to understand why so many ordinary Koreans feel that
> "eo" is the most natural way of representing the 'O' sound of Seoul
> unless it is precisely that they have grown up with that spelling and it
> has fixed itself as their model. Which makes me wonder just where that
> spelling came from, and why the French have put an accent over the 'e'?
> Does anyone know? Please?
> Brother Anthony
> S(e?)ogang University
> 



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