Sunday, September 12, 2010

Korean that looks like English!

I have noted before that many words written in Korean signs are actually English words transliterated. However, recently I noticed a new, much more limited phenomenon: transliterated English words that are made to look like their original counterpart.

Here's the best example. This is my Yoplait yogurt. Try to guess what the big blue Korean word is.


Answer after the jump...


Pretty similar for two completely different languages, eh?

Also, a side note: the long "o" vowel sound at the start of "Original" is designated by the "O" in English, but in Korean is actually designated by the upside-town t-shape beneath the "O". The "O" itself just means there's no starting consonant. The similarities end somewhere, I suppose.

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