부아

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 부〮하 (Yale: pwúhà). Also attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 부〮화 (Yale: pwúhwà).

The Middle Korean word meant "lung". The modern meaning is the result of a semantic shift from "lung" > "burst of (angry) speech" > "anger". Note that the word is most commonly used with verbs expressing eruption or outburst; thus the original source of the modern meaning would have been the metaphoric expression "their lung is bursting [with emotion]".

부〮하 (Yale: pwúhà) failed to obey Middle Korean vowel harmony, which is highly unusual for a native Korean word and suggests a relatively recent borrowing from some foreign language. Given the lack of a clear Chinese source, a likely source is a Jurchen form with a reflex in Manchu ᡠᡶᡠᡥᡠ (ufuhu), as Manchu /f/ derives from Jurchen /p/.

See also Proto-Turkic *öpke (“lung; anger”) with identical semantics to the Korean.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [pua̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [부아]

부아 • (bua)

1. anger

   Synonyms: 화(火) (hwa), 분노(憤怒) (bunno)

   걔네들이 씨불이는 걸 듣고 있으니까 막 부아가 치밀더라.

   Gyaene-deur-i ssiburineun geol deutgo isseunikka mak bua-ga chimildeora.

   I was listening to their nonsensical ranting, and anger erupted inside me.

2. (archaic) lung (organ)

   Synonyms: 허파 (heopa), 폐(肺) (pye)

   • 2003 March, 신지영 [sinjiyeong], 우리말 소리의체계: 국어음운론 연구의 기초를 위하여 [urimal soriuichegye: gugeo'eumullon yeon'guui gichoreul wihayeo, The Sound System of Korean Language: For the Fundamentals of Korean phonology Research], 한국문화사 [han'gungmunhwasa], →ISBN:

     우리말의 경우는 언어학적 의미를 가진 모든 소리들이 하나도 예외 없이 폐에서 내뿜는 기류를 이용하여 만들어지는 부아 날숨 소리이다.

     Urimar-ui gyeong'u-neun eoneohakjeok uimi-reul gajin modeun sori-deur-i hana-do ye'oe eopsi pye-eseo naeppumneun giryu-reul iyonghayeo mandeureojineun bua nalsum sori-ida.

     In the case of Korean, all sounds with linguistic meanings are, without exception, pulmonic egressive sounds, made by utilising airflow coming out from the lungs.

   • 2020 October 15, Kwon O-gil, ko:[생물이야기] 폐의 건강 진단해주는 '폐활량'<1150> [[Biological Story] Lung capacity, which diagnoses the health of the lungs.]‎:

     물론 운동을 하는 사람의 폐활량이 보통 사람보다 많고, 25세에 가장 폐활량이 제일 크다가 점점 줄어들어 60세 정도에 20~30% 감소하고, 늙을수록 점점 준다. 이렇게 부아도 늙는다.

     Mullon undong-eul haneun saram-ui pyehwallyang-i botong saramboda manko, 25se-e gajang pyehwallyang-i jeil keudaga jeomjeom jureodeureo 60se jeongdo-e 20~30% gamsohago, neulgeulsurok jeomjeom junda. Ireoke bua-do neungneunda.

     Of course, the lung capacity of the person who exercises is higher than that of the average person; lung capacity is the largest at the age of 25, and it then gradually decreases as a person ages, with 20-30% of lung capacity lost when one reaches 60 years of age. Like this, the lungs get old.

3. (rare) meat attached to the lung or throat

부아 (bua) is rarely used in isolation, especially outside linguistic works, but is generally encountered in idiomatic expressions as the subject of verbs having to do with a burst of emotion such as 치밀다 (chimilda), 돋다 (dotda), 내다 (naeda).