Hunminjeongeum Haerye (Hanja: 訓民正音解例; lit. 'Explanations and Examples of the Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People'), or simply Haerye, is a commentary on the Hunminjeongeum, the original promulgation of the Korean script Hangul. It was first published in 1446.[1] The Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon (訓民正音解例本) is the printed edition—bon (本) means "book" or "edition".
| Hunminjeongeum Haerye | |
 Hunminjeongeum Haerye uses right-to-left vertical writing. Here it explains the shapes of the basic consonants. | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 훈민정음 해례 |
| Hanja | 訓民正音解例 |
| Revised Romanization | Hunminjeongeum Haerye |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hunminjŏngŭm Haerye |
It was written by scholars from the Jiphyeonjeon (Hall of Worthies), commissioned by King Sejong the Great. In addition to an introduction by Sejong (excerpted from the beginning of Hunminjeongeum) and a colophon by the scholar Jeong Inji (鄭麟趾), it contains the following chapters:
- "An Explanation of the Design of the Letters" (制字解)
- "An Explanation of the Initials" (初聲解)
- "An Explanation of the Medials" (中聲解)
- "An Explanation of the Finals" (終聲解)
- "An Explanation of the Combination of the Letters" (合字解)
- "Examples of the Uses of the Letters" (用字例)
The original publication is 65 pages[2] printed in Hanja with right-to-left vertical writing, as is the case for all the ancient Korean literature in regular script, except where Hangul are mentioned and illustrated.[citation needed] One original copy was made public in 1940 by Jeon Hyeongpil,[2] an antique collector who acquired it from Lee Hangeol (1880–1950), whose family had possessed it for generations.[citation needed]
Another copy was reported to be found in 2008. It included detailed footnotes by scholars at the time.[3]
Now kept in the Gansong Art Museum, it is South Korean National Treasure No. 70 and has been a UNESCO Memory of the World Register since October 1997.[4][2]
References
edit- ^ "Reprint of 'Hunminjeongeum' Haerye edition". The Korea Times. 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ a b c Dong-hee, Hwang (2023-10-05). "Seminal texts on Hangeul reproduced right down to hanji pages". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Court ruling re-sparks tug-of-war over priceless Hangeul handbook". The Korea Times. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Hunminjeongum Manuscript." UNESCO Registry. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-of-registered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-8/the-hunmin-chongum-manuscript
External links
edit- Entire publication typed up in hanja and translation in Japanese
- Entire document scanned: translation available in German
- Record in UNESCO Memory of the World Register
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