Context

South Korea is home to multiple provinces/regions and rich in their respective dialects. Outside of the country, there are dialects formed by Korean populations in central Asia, China, Japan and the United States. Standard Korean, a ‘modern Seoul dialect used by educated people’ (a definition that remains controversial), is used throughout official capacities and broadcast television. Sometimes children will take on the dialects of their parents, or be influenced by their area of residence or language of study to speak a unique idiolect. This entry focuses on the dialect of the Gangwon province as the informant has first-hand experience with the dialect.

Informant Information

The informant is my mother. She lived in Gangwon province all her early life and is familiar with the dialect as well as its differences to standard Korean. When asked about the dialect of the province as a whole, I was told that “most people [there] don’t speak dialects anymore”, and that the province had to be treated as “two separate regions” because of that; the “western region” Yeongseo (영서) and the “eastern region” Yeongdong (영동). The western region historically had a lot of interaction with the capital, so the dialect mostly resembles the Seoul dialect “although some words are spoken with a different intonation”, as seen from the difference between the words for older brother in the two dialects (형/성, hyung/sung). Speakers from the Yeongdong area tend to sound “more different” than their Yeongseo counterparts made evident by the difference in the standard/dialect words for tail (꼬리/꼬랭이, ggori/ggoraengi).

Analysis

As a form of folk speech, the dialect of Gangwon province is in a tenuous spot, since non-Seoul dialects tend to be looked down upon and lack the official support to maintain its folk group: the speakers. Another factor in the decrease of folk speech across Korea (and not just the province) is that “increased movement between the province and the capital” and the government’s lack of support for dialects results in a decrease in Gangwon’s youth populations speaking the local dialect. The informant’s dialect is a significant example for its uncertainty: with its identity becoming less clear as its speakers adjust to life in the capital, will it survive or die out? While the answer is currently unclear, more disdain towards Korean dialects may result in these forms of folk speech being gone for good.

Informant: Sam Kitaj is one of my best friends from high school. His heritage is English, Russian, and Jewish. He is 21 years old and grew up in Westwood, California. He went to high school in Los Angeles and now attends a university and is studying Real-Estate Development. He played sports his whole life with a focus on soccer and is now in a fraternity.

Sam: ” The “6 P’s” is something at all people learn before entering my fraternity. It is a way to show the values the house hold in a catchy tone. The 6 P’s are as follows: Proper Preparation prevents Piss Poor Performance.”

This is a long lasting tradition is my Friend’s fraternity (rather go unnamed) and it is an integral part of the entrance into the brotherhood. The brotherhood that Sam is a part of holds true to the fact that it wants it s member to be good, genuine gentlemen who have good habits and can be a man that someone could hold accountable. These words are ingrained into the minds of the upcoming initiates and poses an obligation to live by them. These 6 words demonstrate that nothing can be done correctly unless you prepare to do it correctly. Without proper preparation than your performance will be week, and you will not be the best form of yourself. Something that his fraternity holds to the upmost importance.

I really like this particular phrase because it helps define fraternity life in a different way. Not all of fraternity life is about brutal hazing for initiation and crazy parties thrown on Thursday nights. These 6 P’s  allow for a constructive and motivational culture to be established and encourages good behavior of a group. This is a very noble saying that can be continued into everyday life.

Informant: Matthew Henry McGeagh is my 19 year-old  twin brother. He was born and raised in Pacific Palisades, California. His family history comes from Irish, Catholic, Jewish, German, and Swedish roots; with an emphasis on the Irish culture. He attended Catholic school from kindergarten until 12th grade and was raised Catholic by his family as well. He played many sports growing up and is very athletic. He now plays baseball at the University of Pennsylvania.

Matt informed me, “For those who know baseball well, the position of 3rd base is often referred to as the ‘hot corner’.”

Most positions in baseball stick to their given name and name is given by where the player stands on the field. For example, the position of first base is located right next to first base. 3rd base, however, as its own unique name. The term ‘hot corner’, as 3rd base, comes from a lot of generally easily observable happenings during a baseball game. My brother is the 3rd baseman at the University of Pennsylvania, so he very well knows the reasoning behind this nickname. 3rd base is located on the very left, corner side of the in-field, next to the foul line. The 3rd baseman is required to stand rather close to the batter when he sets up for his position. This makes his job very dangerous. Whether it is a left-handed or right-handed batter, the 3rd baseman gets a LOT of action. Plays to third base are not generally easy ones either, usually the plays are quick and one needs to have very fast reaction time in order to make the play or simply protect himself. That is why the term “hot corner” comes into play, because it gets so many plays and the ball is coming at you quickly.

3rd base is known for being one of the harder positions on the baseball field because of how much time one has to react. Giving it the name of the ‘hot corner’ shows respect to those who play that position and it is an acknowledgement of its difficulty. One who plays the hot corner is someone  who is generally tough and skillful because it something that takes a lot of courage and athletic ability.