Joseonmal Keunsajeon Wongo

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2086

Category

Books & Records

Era

1929∼1942년 경

Designated year

2020

Location

종로구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 종로구

Coordinates

No precise coordinates are available, so this item is not shown as a map marker. To be added later.

Comprehensive Korean Language Dictionary (Manuscript of Joseon mal keun sajeon) (Treasure No. 2086) is a proofread and transcribed manuscript consisting of fourteen volumes. The manuscript was drawn up over a period of about 13 years (1929-1942) by members of the Joseoneo Hakhoe, the predecessor of the Hangeul Hakhoe (Korean Language Society). The fourteen volumes of the manuscript are currently kept by the Hangeul Hakhoe (8 volumes), the Independence Hall of Korea (5 volumes), and a private individual (1 volume). Although the manuscript was seized by the Japanese police in 1942, it was rather fortuitously rediscovered in a warehouse at Seoul Station in September 1945, shortly after the country’s liberation, ultimately resulting in the publication of a six-volume dictionary in 1957. The manuscript was the starting point for the effort to unify the national language, including spelling, orthography, Standard Korean, and so forth, and thus has great value in terms of the history of Hangeul (Korean alphabetic script). However, it has even greater significance as a material associated with Koreans’ love of Hangeul and their determination to restore their country’s independence. The manuscript is also a very important cultural material as it provides valuable insights into the ways in which Koreans prepared for independence and experienced changes in the use of their language and how they made systematic efforts to establish Hangeul as the country’s writing system.