울다

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 울〯다〮 (Yale: wǔl-tá).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈu(ː)ɭda̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [울(ː)다]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

울다 • (ulda) (infinitive 울어, sequential 우니)

1. (intransitive) to cry; to weep

   지금 누가 울어요? ― Jigeum nuga ureoyo? ― Who is crying now?

   울고 싶고 눈물이 나오면, 무언가 재미있는 것을 애써 생각해 보렴.

   Ulgo sipgo nunmur-i naomyeon, mueon'ga jaemiinneun geos-eul aesseo saenggakhae boryeom.

   If you feel crying, tears coming, then try to think about something funny.

   • 1812, “Song 243”, in 청구영언 장서각본/靑丘永言藏書閣本 [Jangseogak edition of the Cheonggu yeong'eon]:

     項(항)羽(우)ㅣ ᄌᆞᆨᄒᆞᆫ 天(쳔)下(하)壯(쟝)士(ᄉᆞ)랴마ᄂᆞᆫ 虞(우)美(미)人(인) 離(니)別(별)에 한숨 셧거 눈물지며
     唐(당) 明(명)皇(황)이 ᄌᆞᆨᄒᆞᆫ 濟(졔)世(셰)英(영)主(쥬)ㅣ랴마ᄂᆞᆫ 楊(양)貴(귀)妃(비) 離(니)別(별)에 우럿ᄂᆞ니
     ᄒᆞ믈며 碌(녹)碌(록)ᄒᆞᆫ 小(쇼)丈(쟝)夫(부)야 일너 무슴 ᄒᆞ리

     Hang U-i jakhan chyeonhajangsa-ryamaneun U Miin nibyeor-e hansum syeokkeo nunmul-jimyeo
     Dang Myeonghwang-i jakhan jyesyeyeongjyu-iryamaneun Yang Gwibi nibyeor-e ureonnani
     Hamulmyeo nongnokhan syojyangbu-ya illeo museum hari

     Though Xiang Yu was well and indeed a man peerless under heaven, he shed tears mixed with sighs when parting from the Beauty Yu;
     Though Ming of Tang was well and indeed a ruler who saved the world, he wept when parting from the Consort Yang;
     So why even speak of the craven good-for-nothing [that I am]?

• 울보 (ulbo, “crybaby”)
• 울음 (ureum, “crying”)

울〯다〮 (wǔl-tá)

1. Modern phonemically faithful spelling of 우〯다〮 (wǔtá, “to cry; to weep”), not actually used during the Middle Korean period.