공변

A nativised Sino-Korean word, perhaps from 공반 (公反, gongban). First attested in the Myobeomnyeonhwagyeong eonhae (妙法蓮華經諺解 / 묘법연화경언해), 1463, as Middle Korean 고ᇰ번 (Yale: kwongpen).

In the nineteenth century, the original 공번 (gongbeon) was sometimes misinterpreted as coming from 공변 (公辨, gongbyeon) and hypercorrected accordingly, producing what is now the standard South Korean form. The North Korean standard language continues to use the traditional form.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ko̞ŋbjʌ̹n]
• Phonetic hangul: [공변]

공변 • (gongbyeon)

1. Root of 공변되다 (gongbyeondoeda, “to be fair, to be equitable (dated or archaic)”). Rarely used alone.

• 공번 (gongbeon) (original form, now North Korean)

Sino-Korean word from 共 (“together”) + 變 (“change”).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈko̞(ː)ŋbjʌ̹n]
• Phonetic hangul: [공(ː)변]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

공변 • (gongbyeon) (hanja 共變)

1. (almost always compounded, algebra) covariant