Yeonggam

Yeonggam
Hangul
영감
Hanja
令監
Revised RomanizationYeonggam
McCune–ReischauerYŏnggam

Yeonggam or Younggam (Korean: 영감; Hanja: 令監) is a nickname or Korean honorific for an old man[1] in Korea. Yeonggam was historically an honorific title for second-level and third-level civil servants;[2] Vice-Ministers, or Assistant Secretaries[3] of Goryeo and Joseon.

Over time the word became an honorific or nickname for a judge, county governor,[4] head of a township[5] or old man.[4] In recent years, yeonggam has come to be used primarily as a nickname for elderly men.[6] Yeonggam has been used in Korea for more than a thousand years.

  1. ^ [News] OnKey In Jonghyun’s Birthday Fanacc (Update)
  2. ^ [최용민의 좌충우돌] 국회의원, ‘머슴’과 ‘영감’의 역설 아시아투데이 2011-01-17
  3. ^ 의전서열 한겨레 2005.07.25
  4. ^ a b 이 대단한 분 중도일보 2004-03-22 (in Korean)
  5. ^ korean name is 'myeon'(면 ; 面)
  6. ^ 일상에 남은 옛말의 흔적 한국경제 2011/04/01 (in Korean)