엉가

Korean

Alternative forms
  • 언가 (eon'ga), 은가 (eun'ga), 응가 (eungga)

Etymology

From 형아 (hyeong'a, “older sibling”), from 형(兄) (hyeong, “older same-sex sibling”) +‎ 아 (-a, vocative particle), with [g] introduced as fortition of nasal [ŋ]. Colloquial Korean family terms tend to include a fused vocative particle.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ʌ̹ŋɡa̠~ɤŋɡa̠~əŋɡa̠]
  • South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 엉가의 / 엉가에 / 엉가까지

    Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the first syllable, and lowers the pitch of subsequent suffixes.

Noun

엉가 • (eongga)

  1. (dated, chiefly southern dialectal, including Gyeongsang, Jeolla dialect) older sister of a girl or woman
    엉가가 엄마 맞잡이가 돼갖고 […] (Gyeongsang dialect, Changwon)
    eongga-ga eomma matjabi-ga dwaegatgo […]
    Older sister was like a stand-in for Mom […]
    Synonym: 언니 (eonni, Standard Seoul)
    Hypernym: 세이 (sei)

Usage notes

Generally replaced by Standard 언니 (eonni) for younger speakers.

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