Hangang
/ha̠ːn.ɡa̠ŋ/noun
The Han River, the major river flowing through Seoul, South Korea.
Did you know?The final element, gang, is the Korean reading of the Chinese character 江, a historical river-name element also seen in names such as the Yangtze’s Chinese name, Chang Jiang.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
漢江
“The Han River; a river name written with the characters for Han and river.”
Early Korean usage
Sino-Korean
한강
“Han River; a Korean name formed from Sino-Korean readings of 漢江.”
Middle Korean
Middle Korean
한강
“The principal river associated with the Seoul region and the central Korean peninsula.”
Joseon period
Korean
한강
“The Han River, an important transport and commercial route through the capital region.”
20th Century
Revised Romanization
Hangang
“The standardized Latin-alphabet rendering of the Korean name 한강.”
Modern English
English
Hangang
“The Han River, especially the section flowing through Seoul.”