![\"\"](\"http:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/~bgzimmer\/koreanpitch.png\" "\\"Click")
<\/a>\n<\/p>\n
Modern Standard Korean does not preserve the tonal feature of Middle Korean (used between 13th-17th century). Hence all four of the above numbers (or mathematical expressions) are pronounced exactly the same, and a speaker of standard Korean will not be able to distinguish these four different expressions just by hearing them.<\/p>\n
However, the Southeastern dialect of Korean actually somewhat preserves the tonal \/ pitch feature of Middle Korean, and allows the users to be able to distinctly pronounce these four expressions.<\/p>\n
More specifically, the number 2 is read \"ee (long e)\" and the alphabet e is also read \"ee\" in standard Korean. Hence, all four expressions become ee ui ee seung (ui= postposition to indicate possession like Japanese \u306e, seung = \"power of\").<\/p>\n
However, speakers of Southeastern dialect can distinguish these four by pronouncing the number 2 with a \"low\" tone, and the alphabet e with a \"high\" tone.<\/p>\n
Another fun example is the phrase:<\/p>\n
\uac00\uac00\uac00\uac00?<\/b><\/p>\n
In standard Korean, the phrase does not mean anything and will just be pronounced \"gagagaga.\"<\/p>\n
However, a speaker of Southeastern dialect can pronounce the first \"ga\" with a \"high tone,\" second \"ga\" with a low tone, third \"ga\" with a \"high tone,\" and the last \"ga\" with a low tone, to actually deliver the meaning \"is that (person) that person (he or she) ?\" (is that person the person you were talking about?)<\/p>\n
I find it fascinating that, because of the relative geographical isolation of the regions using this dialect due to mountain ranges, certain features of the language were preserved over time.<\/p>\n
Observations by Ross King:<\/p>\n
It is indeed a bit cryptic, but seems to refer back to something that was hot here in Korea online for a while. I think it has to do with the way Koreans pronounce the \"e\" of, e.g., 'email', vs. the \"\uc774\" = 2 = \u4e8c \"two\" in combination with the way they render, e.g., \"e squared\" or \"2 squared.\"<\/p>\n
Because southeastern dialects preserve older Korean pitch accent, \"e\" and \"\uc774\" have different pitch accents, on top of which the pattern for \"X squared\" is \"X\uc758 2\uc2b9\" where \"\uc758\" is the adnominal particle — pronounced \uc5d0 usually. (the \uc2b9 must be the sinograph for 'squared', but I'm no mathematician).<\/p>\n
These short video clips demonstrate the differences:<\/p>\n
\uacbd\uc0c1\ub3c4 \uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4\uc758 2\uc640 e \uad6c\ubd84\ubc95 – 2\uc758 2\uc2b9 [\ubd80\uc0b0\ub0a8\ub9e4] \ubd80\uc0b0\uc0ac\ud22c\ub9ac 2\uc758 2\uc2b9, 2\uc758 e\uc2b9, e\uc758 2\uc2b9, e\uc758 e\uc2b9 \uad6c\ubd84
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?