The Korean Language Dictionary from the Japanese Colonial Period Has Become a Treasure

"'Malmoi Manuscript' and 'Joseonmal Big Dictionary Manuscript' "Clear Evidence of Preparing for Independence from Colonial Rule"
Queen Hyo-ui Kim's Korean Calligraphy of 'Manseokgunseokbun' and 'Gwakja's Yeoljeon' Also Designated as Treasures

Malmoe Manuscript

The fruits of the national effort to preserve the Korean language during the Japanese colonial period are being managed as treasures. These are the 'Malmoe Manuscript' and the 'Joseonmal Great Dictionary Manuscript.' The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 22nd that they have been designated as Treasure No. 2085 and No. 2086, respectively.

The 'Malmoe Manuscript' is the first Korean dictionary manuscript written under the supervision of the academic and classical publication organization Joseon Gwangmunhoe, authored by Ju Si-gyeong, Kim Du-bong, Lee Gyu-young, Kwon Deok-gyu, and others. The title 'Malmoe' is a pure Korean word meaning a collection of words, that is, a dictionary. It was compiled to revive the spirit of the nation and restore sovereignty through Hangul. The manuscript was written from 1911 to 1914. It is presumed to consist of several volumes, but only one volume containing headwords from 'ㄱ' to '걀죽' has been preserved.

The structure is broadly divided into four parts: 'Understanding,' 'Main Text,' 'Index,' and 'Stroke Index.' The 'Understanding' section displays six items corresponding to the legend and presents parts of speech in parentheses. Definitions are described using a mixture of Hangul and Sino-Korean characters. The 'Index' arranges the headwords of the main text in the order of Hangul letters. The 'Stroke Index' allows finding words based on the number of strokes in the Chinese characters included in the main text. Additionally, '+' and '×' are prefixed to distinguish Sino-Korean words and loanwords, respectively.

Malmoe Manuscript

The most notable feature is the specially produced manuscript paper format (판식, pan-sik: the border or layout of the written or printed page). It was designed to make systematic explanations visible at a glance. Imitating the title on the center of the page of old books (판심제, pan-sim-je), the signature 'Malmoe' was engraved inside, and various information about the contents of the page was provided above and below the manuscript paper. This includes the first word, last word, vowels, consonants, final consonants, Chinese characters, and loanword notations.

The Cultural Heritage Administration stated, "Among the existing modern Korean language historical materials, this is the only final manuscript created for the purpose of dictionary publication," and added, "It demonstrates the independent dictionary compilation capability of our nation." They evaluated that "it holds great historical and academic significance as a product of efforts to preserve the Korean language."

The 'Joseonmal Great Dictionary Manuscript' is a set of fourteen handwritten proofread volumes of dictionary manuscripts written by the Joseon Language Society, the predecessor of the Korean Language Society, from 1929 to 1942. The Korean Language Society holds eight volumes, the Independence Hall holds five volumes, and the family of the late Professor Kim Min-su of Korea University, who participated in the compilation, holds one volume. The manuscripts bear the marks of many scholars who wrote, revised, and proofread them. Although confiscated by the Japanese police as evidence in the 1942 Joseon Language Society incident, they were accidentally discovered on September 8, 1945, at the Joseon Transport warehouse in Gyeongseong Station (Seoul Station). Thanks to this, six volumes of the 'Great Dictionary' were completed in 1957.

The Legend Section of the Manuscript for the Great Dictionary of the Joseon Language

This material can be considered the starting point of the unification project of the Korean language, including spelling, orthography, and standard language. It also embodies the love of the Korean language by the entire nation and the aspiration for national independence. A total of 108 people participated in the dictionary compilation project, including social activists, religious figures, educators, linguists, publishers, and capitalists. Prince Youngchin donated 1,000 won (approximately 9.58 million KRW in current value) as sponsorship, and common people from various regions collected regional dialects and Korean language materials and sent them to the society, developing into a nationwide movement transcending class and status.

The Cultural Heritage Administration commented, "It is clear evidence of preparing for independence under colonial rule and vivid material showing the changes in language life," and added, "It is a tangible proof that the establishment of the Korean language was systematically achieved by our nation's own efforts." They also noted, "It is recognized for its representativeness and symbolism as an important resource in Korean cultural history and independence movement history."

The compilation process of the Korean language dictionary by the Joseon Language Society

The recent treasure designation also includes 'Queen Hyo-ui's Calligraphy and Box ? Manseokgunjeon and Gwakjajeon.' Queen Hyo-ui Kim wrote in Hangul calligraphy (御筆, royal handwriting) the 'Manseokgunseokbun' from the Han Shu and the 'Gwakjajeoljeon' from the Xin Tang Shu in 1794. The translation was done by her nephew Kim Jong-seon.

'Manseokgunjeon' is the biography of Seokbun, who served during the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han dynasty. It contains content about how he usually attacked people but observed etiquette and educated his children well, with all four sons attaining high official positions. 'Gwakjajeon' refers to the biography of Gwak Ja (郭子儀), a Tang dynasty military commander who suppressed the An Lushan Rebellion and conquered Tibet, being enfeoffed as the Prince of Fenyang (汾陽郡王). Gwak Ja is better known in Joseon as Gwak Bunyang (郭汾陽). He was often symbolized as a figure who enjoyed wealth and honor in old age with many children.

Queen Hyo-ui wrote in the preface about the background of transcribing these two materials: "Loyalty, simplicity, and sincerity (충박질후·忠樸質厚) are to be learned from Manseokgun, and carefulness, withdrawal, and modesty (근신퇴양·謹愼退讓) are like Gwak Ja; I wish our family to take these as examples for generations." The Cultural Heritage Administration said, "It contains the queen's and her natal family's wishes for the peace and prosperity of the family."

Queen Hyo's Appeal and Ham - Manseokgunjeon

The calligraphy consists of the title written in regular script (楷書, a Chinese character style written neatly without cursive), called 'Gonjeon Eopil (坤殿御筆),' the main text transcribing 'Manseokgunjeon' and 'Gwakjajeon,' Queen Hyo-ui's preface, and the preface by the queen's cousin Kim Gi-hu (金基厚). It was stored in a paulownia wood box with a hinged lid engraved with phrases such as 'Jeongabojang (傳家寶藏, treasured family heirloom)' and 'Jasongi-yeongbojang (子孫其永寶藏, treasured forever by descendants).'

This is the second time the queen's calligraphy has been designated as a treasure, following the 2010 designation of 'Queen Inmok's Calligraphy of Seven-Character Poem' (Treasure No. 1627). The Cultural Heritage Administration evaluated, "It is a precious material that offers a glimpse into the 18th-century culture where Hangul calligraphy was popular among royalty and aristocrats," and added, "It shows a refined and high-level calligraphic style that can be considered a model of Hangul cursive script." They also noted, "It is extremely rare for a queen to transcribe historical texts and leave a preface, making it highly valuable," and said, "Because the production period, background, and calligrapher are clear, it can be regarded as a standard work in the history of Joseon Hangul calligraphy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.