미꾸라지

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Gukhan hoehwa (國韓會話 / 국한회화), 1895, as 밋구라지 (mitguraji), equivalent to 미꾸리 (mikkuri, “loach”) +‎ 아지 (-aji, diminutive suffix); see 미꾸리 (mikkuri) for more.

미꾸리 (mikkuri) now means "pond loach" (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) only, but in Middle and Early Modern Korean referred to both pond loaches and Chinese muddy loaches.

Pronunciation
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [mik͈uɾa̠d͡ʑi]
  • Phonetic hangul: [미꾸라지]
Romanizations
Revised Romanization?mikkuraji
Revised Romanization (translit.)?mi'kkulaji
McCune–Reischauer?mikkuraji
Yale Romanization?mi.kkwulaci

Noun

미꾸라지 • (mikkuraji)

  1. The Chinese muddy loach, Misgurnus mizolepis, a common fish in Korean lakes and rivers
  2. (derogatory) a cunning, slippery person

References
  • 신중진 (Sin Jung-jin) (2011) “'미꾸라지'의 형태사와 방언분포 [mikkuraji ui hyeongtaesawa bang'eonbunpo, The history and dialectal distribution of mikkulaci ("loach")]”, in Gugeohak, volume 61, pages 239—264
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