Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics (대한후두음성언어의학회지)

The Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics. (대한후두음성언어의학회)
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Hunminjeongeum Phonetics (I): Phonetic and Phoniatric Consideration for Explanation of Designs of Middle Vowel Letters

훈민정음 음성학(I): 중성자(홀소리) 제자해에 대한 음성언어의학적 고찰

  • Choi, Hong-Shik (Cheon-Ji-In Institute of Vocalization / Jeil ENT Hospital / Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine / King Sejong the Great Memorial Society)
  • 최홍식 (천지인발성연구소, 제일이비인후과의원,연세대학교 의과대학 이비인후과학교실, (사) 세종대왕기념사업회)
  • Received : 2022.04.13
  • Accepted : 2022.06.27
  • Published : 2022.08.31
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Abstract

Hunminjeongeum was made by the Great King Sejong, and composed of 17 consonant and 11 vowel letters. All the 28 letters were made according to the shape of vocal organ or space at the point of articulation for each letters. This review article focused on phonetic and phoniatric consideration for explanation of the designs of the middle vowel letters, especially three main vowel letters [ • (天, heaven), ㅡ (地, earth), ㅣ (人, human)] using video-fluoroscopic evaluation as well as computed tomography scanning, etc. During articulating / • / sound, a ball-like space at frontal portion of the oral cavity was found, tongue was contracted, and sound was deep (舌縮而聲深). During /ㅡ/ sound, a flat air space between oral tongue and hard palate was created. Tongue was slightly contacted neither deep nor shallow (舌小縮而聲不深不淺). During /ㅣ/ sound, tongue was not contacted and Sound is light (舌不縮而聲淺). Tongue was moved forward making longitudinal oro-pharyngeal air space. So, I'd like to suggest that we had better change the explanation drawing from a philosophical modeling to a more scientific modeling from real vocal tract space modeling during articulating middle vowels of Hunminjeongeum.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The author express my gratitude to Mr. Byung-Chan Hyun, Jeju, Korea.

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