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Dozens of Korean words have been added to Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary has added 26 new words of Korean origin, reflecting the increasing influence of the culture.

There’s no doubt Korean pop culture has had a massive take-off in the western world in the last decade. From K-pop to Korean TV and cinema, there’s been an increasing spread and interest in culture from the Asian peninsula.

With this rise in interest comes the integration of some words from the Korean language into the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

Still from Squid Game. Image: Netflix

OED said adding Korean words was a recognition of the shift in the language used by English speakers and was a way toenrich the English language.

Some of the new additions focus on food such as:

  • banchan – A small side dish of vegetables, served along with rice as part of a typical Korean meal.
  • bulgogi – a dish containing thin slices of beef or pork which are marinated then grilled or stir-fried.
  • kimbap – a dish consisting of cooked rice and other ingredients wrapped in a sheet of seaweed and cut into bite-sized slices.
  • chimaek – slang for “fried chicken and beer”.

In terms of Korean pop culture, the international success of on-screen entertainment such Parasite and Squid Game, as well as K-pop bands such as BTS and Blackpink show how influential and interested the western world is in Korean products.

Some of the new representations in the OED focusing on this include:

  • hallyu – The increase in international interest in South Korea and its popular culture, represented by the global success of South Korean music, film, TV, fashion and food.
  • K-drama – A television series in the Korean language and produced in South Korea.
  • manhwa – A Korean genre of cartoons and comic books, often influenced by Japanese manga.
  • mukbang – A video, esp. one that is livestreamed, that features a person eating a large quantity of food and talking to the audience.

 

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“We are all riding the crest of the Korean wave, and this can be felt not only in film, music, or fashion, but also in our language, as evidenced by some of the words and phrases of Korean origin included in the latest update of the Oxford English Dictionary,” the OED said in a statement.

The full list of words can be found here.