사족

Korean

Etymology 1

    Sino-Korean word from 蛇足, from (snake) + (feet), with the implication that it is as unnecessary as drawing feet on a picture of a snake. Originally a Chinese chengyu, from a story in the ancient Chinese history Strategies of the Warring States, see 畫蛇添足画蛇添足 (huàshétiānzú) for more.

    Pronunciation

    Romanizations
    Revised Romanization?sajok
    Revised Romanization (translit.)?sajog
    McCune–Reischauer?sajok
    Yale Romanization?sacok

    Noun

    사족 • (sajok) (hanja 蛇足)

    1. something superfluous, unnecessary
      좋은 쓰려면 사족 걸러 합니다.
      Jo'eun geur-eul sseuryeomyeon sajog-eul geolleoya hamnida.
      To write well, one must eliminate the superfluous.
      사족으로 덧붙이자면 []
      sajogeuro deotbuchijamyeon [ ]
      just to add something superfluous []
      (used to add further information in a humble manner)

    Etymology 2

      Sino-Korean word from 四足, from (four) + (feet).

      Pronunciation

      • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ˈsʰa̠(ː)d͡ʑo̞k̚]
      • Phonetic hangul: [(ː)]
        • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
      Romanizations
      Revised Romanization?sajok
      Revised Romanization (translit.)?sajog
      McCune–Reischauer?sajok
      Yale Romanization?sācok

      Noun

      사족 • (sajok) (hanja 四足)

      1. (of an animal) four legs, four feet
        사족보행로봇
        sajokbohaengnobot
        quadruped robot
      2. (of a person) four limbs, arms and legs
        있으면 사족을 못 쓴다.
        Dan ge isseumyeon sajogeul mot sseunda.
        They have a sweet tooth. (idiom)
        (literally, “If there is something sweet, they cannot use their four limbs.”)

      Etymology 3

        Sino-Korean word from 士族, from (scholar-official) + (family, lineage).

        Pronunciation

        • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ˈsʰa̠(ː)d͡ʑo̞k̚]
        • Phonetic hangul: [(ː)]
          • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
        Romanizations
        Revised Romanization?sajok
        Revised Romanization (translit.)?sajog
        McCune–Reischauer?sajok
        Yale Romanization?sācok

        Noun

        사족 • (sajok) (hanja 士族)

        1. (historical) a powerful aristocratic family or a scion of such a family